Last night was my last game with a group of young men, most of them I have known for years, some I have only come to know this season. It was a bitter sweet game for me, and as I sit back and reflect on how much these boys have grown, I feel blessed to have been a part of their lives. This is my letter to "my boys" I mean every word of it and it comes right from my heart.
When Ty first joined your team back 4 or 5 years ago, I was excited because he had decided to take his game up a level. I love soccer & I have been a player, ref, fan and coach for 35 years. Back when I was a kid, I wasn't allowed to play hockey, so soccer was the closest a young girl could get. I excelled at it, went up the ranks in my hometown from rec league, to travel, onto HS for a year, then played at the collegiate level where eventually our college team won a national title. For me to have a child who loves the game I grew up with is AWESOME! To find a group of boys who wanted to learn and grow as soccer players was even better!
As a coach I have been your #1 cheerleader & the biggest pain in your rear. That is my job. I pushed you all to become "close" to the amazing players I know you can all be. You still have work to do, but I know ALL of you can reach your potential, if you want it. Remember how you all thought I was crazy with alot of the things I made you do? All the running, tons of sit ups, skipping rope, running with a parachute, hurdles & occasionally chucking balls at you? It all was to make you a better athlete. Think back to when you played U-10....Remember all the dribbling and trapping drills you did? Well we were building a stronger foundation for you so when you got to this level you are able to do all the fancy footwork and such. I giggle when I think back at how some of you couldn't walk without tripping over your feet, and look at yourself now! All of you can deke out your opponent and make them look foolish....My how "my boys" have grown. I am proud of each & every one of you.
Now it is time for me to step aside for alot of you and let another coach mold you even further into an incredible player. My head knew this day would come, but my heart will always be with you guys. I am sad that it is over, but from the bottom of my heart I thank all of you for making me laugh even when I wanted to strangle some of you ;) All of you have taught me so much I don't think you even know how much I have learned from you. I am leaving each of you with a few final thoughts & words to remember...God gave you 2 ears & 1 mouth which means when the coach is talking, you need to listen and NOT be chatting away about whatever plans you are making for the weekend ;)
Kyle....I have known you longest, even though there was a time that I wasn't your coach. I think back to the 1st season you played, and I chuckle when I think about how I told you "This is your area to defend" and you never moved from that spot the whole season,lol. You have become an amazing soccer player. You quietly did your job, doing whatever was asked of you, and working on your own to become a better ball handler. I watched you this fall become a cross country runner and you amaze me Kyle. No matter which sport you decide to do, I know you will make a HUGE impact for your school. When I think of you, I have to say you are like Nick Lidstrom. You are quiet, but consistently good, and often save our team. Thank you for your hard work and dedication to this team.
Noah C....Again like Kyle, you were a quiet force to be reckoned with. Watching you play goal was a delight. Alot of times, you made it look so easy! I know in the beginning I probably scared you a bit, but you are such an incredible young man! So many talents, not only on the soccer field. I truly hope I get to see you even though I won't be your coach. I am going to miss the different hair colors & stylish socks ;)
Thank you my friend, for being an amazing goalie, but even better, an amazing young man. I am proud of you and look forward to what is in store for your future whatever is in store for you I know you will be a success!
Trev....Dude keep the elbows in!!! :D When I first started coaching you, you looked like the baby Happy New Year from the Rudolph's Shiny New Year show,lol. Who knew such an innocent face would become such a beast defender! You are without a doubt, one of the most competitive kids on the team, but you have to remember to talk to your team. You will become a leader and it will be up to you to let your team know if there is a man who needs to be covered, calling for a pass, etc.Remember when you are running, NO JAZZ HANDS! I can't wait for you to start swimming in HS and I am totally expecting you to shatter more records all over the place ;) Thanks for always working hard, and for providing direction to your team when needed.
Nick..Nick, Nick, Nick...I could write a book about you my young friend ;) You went from tripping over your own feet to stopping goals in clutch situations, not to mention all the times you defensively helped your team. I know you are bummed that you got hurt during this season, but I really hope you stick with soccer. You haven't even scratched the surface of your potential, and I hope one of your new coaches can bring that out of you. Thank you for making me laugh (even when I wanted to choke you,lol), and providing alot of levity (look it up) when your team was down. Remember....GOD GAVE YOU 2 EARS & 1 MOUTH!!!!
I will miss you my young friend. I wish you all the success in the world, except when you are against Corunna ;)
Cody...I smile when I think of you. You are a coaches dream player. You gave everything you had in every game & practice. You worked hard, asked us if there were things you could work on at home, and are a true team player in every sense of the word. I think back from when you first joined, and look at the player you are now and just think WOW! All of your hard work is paying off. Like Kyle, if you decide to run cross country or play soccer, I know you will go far and leave everything on the field or track. You have been a joy to work with and I hope no matter what you decide to do, you keep in touch.
Slush...UGH! A Penguins fan? Really? ;) Such a quiet kid during practice who lets the beast out during the game. Have faith in yourself Noah because you are ALOT better than you give yourself credit for. I know you got ticked at me alot and I'm sorry for that, but look at how far you have become as a player! You can do anything you set your mind to, just believe in yourself a little bit more. If there ever comes a time when you are doubting yourself, get ahold of me and I will remind you of the thousands of times you won the ball from a bigger player, made that excellent pass across the field for a goal, talked to your team mate who had the ball and supported them.
You are a fantastic soccer player and I am grateful you were on our team to help us in so many tough spots.
Joe....To be honest I wasn't sure how things were going to go this year. You were always Ty's opponent and I wasn't sure how the 2 of you would get along on the same team. Thank you for teaching an old lady that even though you were on opposite sides before, that you could become a fantastic team mate who supported your team and helped them when they were down. Your way of talking from the bench and on the field helped turn the attitudes around and pretty soon everyone was talking on the field. I gave you some grief, and I know it had to be hard not having your Dad as your coach, but thanks for giving us a shot and I hope you had fun. It was a pleasure becoming your coach. Thanks Joe for everything you did for this team.
Gabe...My Gabriel...So many things I'd like to say, but I will keep it simple. If you practiced as hard as you played in the game, there would be no stopping you. Like Slush, you need to believe in yourself a little bit more. You have grown so much in the short time you were with this team, and I know if you decide to play soccer in HS, you will be tough to play against. Thank you for asking questions when things didn't make sense because it showed us that you wanted to learn. Keep your feet on the ground when someone kicks the ball & believe in yourself as much as we do. Thank you for working hard not only for yourself, but for your team.
Jordan...Only been together for 1 season and I will miss your goofy ways on & off the field. You have such a natural gift that it's scary to think if you actually kept with soccer, how good you could become. I wish you all the best no matter what you decide to do with your life. If you do decide to play more, just remember to get your body in front of the ball instead of just kicking your leg out. You are not a ballerina ;) Thank you for doing whatever was asked of you. From defense to forward, mid field to goal, you tried and worked hard for your team. Thank you my young friend and good luck next year.
Brendan...I gave you so much grief and you took it all in stride. I am so proud of how hard you worked this season. All that hard work really paid off. Your footwork has improved, throw ins are awesome and you are TALKING on the field most of the time :D Thank you for putting up with me all these years. I will never be able to look at a pair of bunny ears and NOT think of you. You are becoming a great young man and I wish you nothing but the best in the years to come. I will miss you B.J. but I hope to catch a few HS games and see you playing tough! Listen to your next coach, and work on some stuff at home on your own. You can bring your game up to an even higher level, you just have to do the work.
Brody...When I think back to the player you were a few short years ago & to see the player you are today...WOW! I can't wait to be able to sit in the stands and cheer you on as you are playing against all these other boys. You worked so hard, always asking me what you could do to become better, and I sit back while you are on the field and I just think "WOW". Sometimes you hold onto the ball too long, or try to get past too many opponents, but you will learn over the next few years about timing and "hearing" the players behind or around you. I am excited for your future and grateful you allowed me to be your coach for all these years.
Tim...You have come so far and become such an awesome player & team mate that it has been a pleasure to be your coach. I have enjoyed every day that I saw you at the fields. You always worked hard, and even started TALKING on the field to your team mates. Your crosses and corner kicks are a thing of beauty my young friend. Find the confidence in yourself to know how good you truly are and there will be no stopping you. The talent that you have inside of you is amazing, you just need to relax and let it out. Remember it is called "practice" not "perfect". Allow yourself you make mistakes because that is how you grow. Don't beat yourself up because everyone has an off pass or a bad game. Know that I will always be on the sidelines cheering for you because that is how much I believe in you.
Josh... From a hot head, to a leader. I have sat by these few years and watched you go from a player to a true team mate and that is a lot of growing for a young man. You worked on the areas of your game that you didn't like and became stronger in those areas. I have no doubt that you have ALOT of soccer in your future, but I hope you never forget your foundation. Your team is only as strong as your weakest player, and while I have no doubt you will be one of the stronger players, it will fall to you to help your weaker players by encouraging them and giving them help in the areas you see they need help in. I am excited to see you play on the big fields, and wish you nothing but good luck in the future. I will miss you my young friend, my Joshica ;)
Tyler...As a Mom I couldn't be any prouder of you than I already am. From a coaches perspective, I am also very proud of you. I think Coaches Frank & Troy would agree that you are in the center of the field for a reason. You have a way of reading the field and the play that made it vital to put you in the middle. You are the complete soccer player, but I am sure your next coach will have new things for you to learn. Keep your feet on the ground and when your team gets scored on, it will be up to you to help boost the morale of your team. I know you will become an even better player over the next few years and I can't wait!
To all of you...I am so proud of the players and team you have become and I feel good knowing that I have taught you all what it meant to be a soccer player. The dedication and hard work is either instilled in you or not, but if you really want to move up and play in HS, I have given you everything that I know of to help you succeed. I wish all of you success beyond your wildest dreams, and even if you don't decide to play soccer in HS, I will always be thankful that for a few years we were able to share some great times together.
I will always think of each & every one of you as "my boys" and no one will be able to take that away from me. Thank you all for the hard work, the dedication, the laughter and wonderful memories you have given to this old lady. I love you all!
Coach Meanie
