What a day...

So...

Coached my ladies for the first time today. Two practices, and then we had a tourney this weekend. Uh oh.

As if that was not dicey enough, we had to play with only eight players (meaning no subs in an 8 v 8 game) as one of my key players broke her foot. Add in the heat and fatigue, and you'll understand why I was ready to temper my expectations, in a matter of speaking.

Well, the girls decided to shock me. First game, they came out swinging. The fatigue began to set in, but they kept at it, not complaining, and actually had some great opportunities. We actually went up, but gave up an almost inevitable goal in the second half. The opposing coach did a great job of using our fatigue to his advantage, and made timely substitutions accordingly.

All in all, it was a game where my ladies showed their grit. Salvaging a 1-1 tie made me extremely proud, particularly when they could barely run against ever present fresh legs.

The second game was a bit more lopsided in our favor. At first, we just could not convert the opportunities. But when we scored, the floodgates were opened. We scored 7 goals in quick succession to close out the half.

Now, one thing I learned from one of my mentors is that during games, each coach is coaching 22 (or at this level, 16) players at a time. In other words, each coach is also responsible for the other team as well. Your actions and directives as a coach weigh on the psyche of the opposing team almost as much as they do on your own team. Therefore, I feel strongly about running up the score; I always try to keep the score in single digits.

In any case, the ladies acted with class, and we won 9-1. The other team would not quit, and credit has to go to them and their coach for that. We were just very fortunate to be able to match them very well 1v1, and I was even able to surreptitiously (I hope) yank out players for breathers and sips of water while evening the game somewhat playing a man down.

I always marvel at how phenomenal young people can be. Here they were, drained from the sun, exhausted and a little dehydrated, but they did not question my request to respect the other team and the game. It's moments like these that make it all worth it, even more so than the win. Again, my players teaching me... I live for that.

All in all, I am excited about this team and parents. I could not have asked for classier. I know tomorrow will be tougher, but today, I could not have been prouder.

Woohoo!!! Go Lightning!!!