Dear Tiny People... You are rediculous

I recently began my first foray into coaching. As a long time participant in the global phenomenon that is soccer I've had a lot of coaches over the years, both good and bad. Like it or not those people had a big influence on me during the years I was under their tutelage.

From my father, who was my very first soccer coach, to Cornell who I worked with for four years in high school all the men and women who have coached me have made an impact. Granted, the impact from some was more apparent than others. Some are clear as day in my memory while others are just hazy impressions in the back of my mind but all of them changed who I was, if only to make me a better soccer player.

So with that in mind I decided to start coaching. I ended up with the dribblers, the name for the parks and recs kindergarteners, 4-5 year olds. Never a more merry band of misfits has been grouped together. It's like any classic underdog sports move, except they never get better. That's not to say it isn't fun. They're great. They're entertaining and they drive me absolutely nuts.

It's entirely possible that I was an even bigger spaz than they were at that age. In fact, it's likely but man did I have completely different expectations. 14 tiny people running around the field in bright yellow shirts. There's Lilly who likes to pretend she's glued to the ground. Landon who, if I had to pick a kid to run head long into a tree for no apparent reason he would be the one. Jackson who tackles people football style during scrimmages. Emily who tried to show me her karate moves by attempting to kick me in the head. And the twins Cole and Peyton who won't let go of their mother's hand and thus I have a random adult in the middle of the field the whole time. In the end all that has made it fun. If nothing else it provides me with good stories on Thursdays.

They've taught me a lot about patience and conserving my voice and that maybe next year I should get a whistle. But they've also taught me that coaching is something I want to do more of.