slo’s THURSDAY 3/27 poll - Coaching Sports 🏀🥎⚽️🏈⚾️🏐🎾

[slo]

Coaching sports can be very rewarding for some people. It has a lot of highs and lows, so you need to know how to balance both in order to do the job well. You also need to have an incredibly thick skin, because you’re going to be blamed for a lot of things. Some of these things may be valid, and a lot of these things will not be valid. Many of us have had experience with coaches and some of us have been, or are, a coach today. We’re going to focus on those that have taken on a coaching job, which is not an easy job. I know this, because I was one for 10 years. So give yourself a shout out today if you’ve ever coached a sport.

Have you ever been a coach for a sport?
If yes…..are you a current coach or have been one in the past?
What age(s) do/did you coach?
(multiple choice)



For Me…….I started coaching my DD21 when she was 7yrs old and stopped when she went to college - she played softball as many of you know. I started with coaching her town ball team (8u & 10u) and then was part of the coaching staff for her A level travel teams (12u, 14u, 16u & 18u). Even though I did not coach her HS teams and college team, I still kept my coaching role with her for our own practices, and we practiced a lot. She is now retired, and I miss it a lot. Being a coach has been incredibly rewarding for me. I loved being with my girls (I always called the players “my girls”). At practices and games I was called “coach” and in a more private setting, like at the hotel for tournaments, I was called “Momma O”. Some of these girls that I still see still call me Momma O today. I’m friends with several on Facebook and Instagram and I’m so glad about this. They are adults now and I’m very blessed to still be a part of their lives. There were many lows, but the rewards overshadowed the lows that those lows never made me want to quit. Coaching was very demanding of my time - lots and lots of time and if my DD was sick, I was still going even if she couldn’t. I wouldn’t change a thing, I was very blessed to experience this with my DD by my side

Below is one of my most treasured photos from 2017. This is from a tournament in Ohio. I was the official score keeper - I always kept “the book”. It was a big job during games. Not only did I have to keep track of our team, but I also kept track of the opposing team - every little detail, which is stressful during certain games, like a championship game. One of the players dads took this picture - me on my bucket and my best friend by my side. There is still no place I would have rather been.

 

[leebee]

No coaching for me. DD is a dancer, so I've been stage crew, stage manager, costume mistress, VP of board of directors for 2 different companies, dancer-chaperone (for teens, for tweens, for littles... someone has to know where they are when we are on-site, that they are eating and prepared), scheduler, food manager... but never a coach.

 

[Kitty 34]

My brothers and oldest DS are coaches. Not me.

 

[WDWEPCOT]

My kids didn’t play sports no coaching here but so proud of you SLO

 

[firefly_ris]

My husband coaches basketball, nothing for me, I don't know enough about sports to coach anything. I'm so glad you were able to do that for your daughter.

 

[Ronaldo17]

I coached kids soccer teams from age 10-18 and also adult soccer teams from age 18 upwards, mainly because my two sons started playing from 10 years old and I was asked to help out. Loved it. Took the boys to Barcelona, Spain twice to play in a UEFA kids tournament won third place one year.
Very rewarding and what a great time.

 

[mjkacmom]

Not me, but my husband coached dozens of teams. Rec soccer for all 5, some up until high school, travel soccer for 4 of our kids, 2nd grade until senior year of high school (kids played varsity, H ran the spring training), tball for all, rec basketball for some of them through 8th grade (he was always suckered into setting up teams and coaches). He was out every night at practices and games, spent hours on the phone with parents and parks and rec, it was like a second job. When the kids graduated HS you might still find him at a game, chatting with the parents. His dad officiated so many sports and games his entire life, finally had to quit around age 80. Growing up, H said everyone knew his dad, and when our kids were growing up, everyone knew my husband.

 

[Dan Murphy]

I helped coach Vince's Little League baseball for several years, probably age 9-11 or 12. I was more of a helping coach to the primary coach.

 

[Kae]

My DH coached Soccer for quite a few years.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I've never been a coach but I admire those you can do it. Sometimes the parents seem more difficult to deal with than the kids.

Our youngest was in sports and I enjoyed going to watch her. I missed that a lot when she went to college.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

I am not the athletic one in this family, so I never coached. DH was a multi-sport athlete, but we both work in an industry where we're required compliance review and approval to do anything like this. It's impossible to commit yourself when you don't know if you'll continue to be approved. That's not to say we don't make our contributions. He was the GameChanger dad for several years. It's just become so complicated with all of the other platforms that it's now tethered to for ensuring that video clips, stats, and other highlights get dragged in for recruitment and club stuff. My "job" ... team photographer, but only when I feel like it and when headshots are needed.

 

[bobbiwoz]

I coached our youngest’s first soccer team. It was a fun, enjoyable time. No pressures, bad feelings at all.

 

[Micca]

Wouldn't know the first thing about coaching any sports, and it sounds like something mostly conducted outside.

 

[KPeterso]

I chose other. I taught ice skating classes part time. Since I had a full time job, I never took on private students and would give the names of some of the others or to refer to the office for ideas who might be a good fit for a child. So I was never a true coach.

My dad coached little league for many years. He took over a team when his best friend moved out of the area. He had no kids at the time. His teams always respected him and did well. He was eventually given the all star team coach role too. My mom and I went to many of the games from the time I was a little baby. He did also help coach my t-ball team, little league, and eventually softball teams.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I was a Den Mother for Scouts, but never a sports coach.

 

[mjkacmom]

I've never been a coach but I admire those you can do it. Sometimes the parents seem more difficult to deal with than the kids.

Our youngest was in sports and I enjoyed going to watch her. I missed that a lot when she went to college.

lol the parents are WAY harder than the kids!

 

[RUDisney]

Not a coach, but sat in the stands for many a game. DS was into football, so I was a Booster Parent and in charge of the programs.

DD was a girl scout, so I was a troop leader from Brownies through Ambassador level. I'm going to a baby shower for one of our girl scouts on Saturday. All of the leaders will be there. I'm looking forward to that.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

Dear PollyannaMom, years ago my grandma was Den Mother of my Dad's Boy Scout Troop. I've never coached but have been a proud mom of sorts encouraging and running lines with church campers at summer camp.

 

[tvguy]

I was an (un-rostered) assistant coach, rostered coach and manager during my son's Little League years. Most of my time was as the Team Umpire and Board member.
For my daughters soccer team, I was the field prep parent. You wouldn't want me coaching soccer. A lot of the rules don't make sense to me, LOL.

 

[jo-jo]

I was a Den Mother for Scouts, but never a sports coach.

I did the same for a few years with both kids. Never coached, but worked at snack bar bunch of times.

Our DS has coached several sports a year for at least 7 years in his township. At times , is coach for both boys at different levels. For several years now, he has coached indoor soccer in the township we’ve lived in forever. He lives about 25 mins away. He feels he is giving back and honoring those who took the time to coach when he was little.