Influence and Gratitude

I had a great visit this week with one of my former youth soccer coaches and his wife. Last spring I spent a great deal of time reflecting on why I coach and one of the reasons is because I had great coaches growing up that really had an impact on me as both an athlete and a person.  

I spent a morning writing personal notes of thanks to several of my youth coaches who had really made a difference in my life. I wanted to thank them for their time and effort and to let them know that I was grateful to have had them in my life and how they were still influencing me as a coach. It was so great to reconnect and hear from them all.  The responses I got were so uplifting to me and I wish I had reached out sooner to thank them.  It has been great exchanging notes, emails and even this week had a great in person visit. Coach Keagle and his wife Kathy went out of there way on their travels out West to swing by Denton.  What an amazing gesture and what a wonderful time I had catching up with them after 20 plus years!  Kathy told me when John got the letter he said to her, this makes sacrificing all those weekends and spending time in the sun worth it.

What their visit has reminded me is to all of us out there who coach we truly have a big responsibility.  Besides my family the coaches and teachers I have had were my role models.

Coaches and teachers truly impact lives and hopefully as a coach/teacher you are impacting in a positive way.  Trust me, you are having influence on young lives. How you coach/teach them is what they are going to pass on.  People tend to teach/lead how they were taught. Make your legacy one you want to be passed on.  

I am so grateful that I had such positive, high character coaches who saw the best in me when I could not see it myself.  They motivated me to be the best I could be. They saw the best in me.  The respect they showed me made me work hard so that I would not disappoint them.  Even now I coach to make those who have invested in me proud of the person I have become. Their time and dedication has stayed with me. I hope I am instilling the same work ethic, kindness, discipline, sportsmanship, and integrity on to the next generation.

Please learn from me. Do not waste time reaching out to those coaches and teachers who have made a difference in your life. Trust me, you will not regret it.