First football game

[txteach]

Well we had our first football game today and won 19-6. We could have played better and have a lot to work on. Overall I'm satisfied. If you know anything about football in Texas you know they are fanatical for it, even at my level (middle school). I just wanted to share this with you all,people I consider my friends.

[batmanmc]

thats cool teach congrats on the win.

[Hulk]

Congrats Coach! Good luck with the rest of the season.

[mitchedwards]

Congrats on the win.

[Adam West]

Congrats...is this your first year coaching?

I coach an all female U-12 soccer team. I am really focused on player development and trying to let the girls enjoy playing the game without an undue amount of pressure to win.

I am as competitive as they come and like to win so it is very difficult for me to put my ego aside and do what I know is right especially at this age. I figure they can worry about win/loss records when they get older.

Unfortunately, soccer in my area is big especially on the female side and there is incredible pressure to win even at the expense of benching or pigeon holing a player into a position which I won't do.

Then there is the politics behind the game with our soccer coordinators who refuse to allow me to move our team into a more competitive division without proving a track record of success (meaning wins at a lower level).

Didn't mean to hijack your post, I just hope you can stay above all the unecessary pressure placed on you to win at the expense of your kids.

[Comic Book Geek]

Congrats Coach. Go (Insert mascot name here)!

[toys2cool]

Awesome John,it doesn't matter if you win by a point or by 30 winning is winning

Hey did you happen to catch the #1 high school in the nation from Miami beat the #2 from Texas and end there 49 game winning streak?

[txteach]

Actually it's my 11th year as a coach. I also coach soccer and baseball. I played baseball and football competitively as a kid but had soccer thrust upon me. I finally know the rules of soccer so it's a bit more fun.

[Adam West]

That's great!

I am sure you have seen and heard just about everything then.

There is a good documentary in the making (regarding youth sports). There is so much junk going on behind the scenes that have nothing to do with the game, I sometimes want to resign.

Between the parents who complain that their daughters don't get enough playing time to the Athletic Cooridinators who only grade your skills as a coach by your win/loss record, takes a bit of the fun out of it, especially when I am an unpaid volunteer.

Fortunately, I have stuck to my guns and have focused on my personal mission which is to ensure every girl on my team is a better player than when they started the season, that they have fun, and they all get equal playing time.