SPORT REFLECTION #26: Being “Better Together” In The World of Youth Soccer

Here at Project 88.7, we preach and LIVE being “better together.” It sounds simple and sure, it may even seem cliche, but it is something we take very seriously and aim to apply it to all aspects of our lives.

So what does being “better together” mean and where does this fit in coaching youth soccer of all places? Let me give you some context:

I coach soccer for the Idaho Olympic Development Program, an identification platform for the United States Youth National team. It is a program designed to identify, develop, and showcase the top players in our state. I am currently coaching the 2012 Girls Team (this means the top players born during the year 2012).

Last August, there were a few dozen girls that tried out for the team. From there I selected 15 girls. These girls represent eight different clubs from all over the state of Idaho. In addition, I am coaching the youngest age group in the program. Not only are they new, but they are the future of the program. This gives my assignment added importance as I need to make sure there there are no “cracks” in the foundation of this group. A lot of discernment went into not only how good these girls were as players, but also the type of character they displayed.

Through the short time we had together so far, the underlying message was that we need to be “better together.”

“Better Together” means that our interactions with one another can and will create something greater than ourselves. When we come together to train, play, bond, share ideas, listen, and grow, we are creating strength in our culture through our experiences and training.

I facilitated this process by teaching the girls to respect each other’s differences. These girls play against each other during the season. Some bad blood was apparent at tryouts and the first couple of trainings. As a coach, I needed to pave the way for inclusion of all my players. These are players who are the best players on their respective teams, plus they are pre-teens that are starting to get some “sass” (If you were or still are a female athlete, you know what I am talking about lol).

Bringing people together by engaging others from different backgrounds and experiences, when done right, can lead to some amazing things. We recently got back from Arizona where we won the championship at the Arizona Select Clubs Showcase in Tuscon, Arizona.

As a coach I am inspired by these girls intelligence, creativity, technique, and competitive spirit. This all came together in Arizona last weekend. We improved every game. We lost our first game and got another shot at the same team in the championship where we beat them 5-0.

We head back to Arizona for the ODP Championships in January. We are off to good start. More to come as we are on the right path. There will be bigger challenges down the road as we will play tougher competition and the stakes will be higher. Like the legendary coach Vince Lombardi said, “Sometimes the clock runs out, but we never lose in the end.”