Not a runner-up
After listening to a presentation on inclusion by Krista Rappoccio from Move United at the most recent Youth Sports Congress, I remembered one of my favorite volunteer youth-coaching experiences. It was the last season my daughter played in recreational soccer. As with every other season, we received the roster via email, and I recognized a couple names on the list, but most were new.
To me, those first couple of practices were some of the best of the season. Watching the players get to know each other and discovering their strengths and weaknesses was really interesting to watch. Who was fast? Who was aggressive? And finding the natural leaders—especially in those early practices—made things great. Plus, knowing this might be my last season coaching made me want to take a step back and enjoy everything about the experience.
At the first practice, I always tried to arrive a half hour before the rest of the team to make a good first impression. My daughter didn’t particularly like this strategy, but it did give us some one-on-one time to work on improving some of her skills. As the other players started to arrive, it was almost impossible not to form first impressions: she looks fast, she looks tough, she looks shy, etc. But when one other player arrived, I have to admit my first thought was not positive and that I would have a challenge on my hands. She was a little person.