To The Youth Coaches

To The Youth Coaches,

Have you sat through a t-ball practice or game and watched the person who selfishly signed up to volunteer their time to teach those kids the game? At some point I’m sure you looked away and let out a sigh of relief because it wasn’t you out there. You see that person trying their hardest to keep these small children entertained, safe and interested in the sport, but the kids are two hands in the dirt, twirling in circles, and even sitting in the grass crying. Complete and utter chaos. Chaos that I cannot sign myself up for.

But, there are people who do sign up for that. And to those people, thank you.

To the coaches of youth activities, thank you.

Thank you for giving up your time developing practice agendas.

Thank you for giving up your nights and weekends to help these kids develop their skills.

Thank you for encouraging kids to try their best and to keep their head held high.

Thank you for teaching kids how to lose gracefully.

Thank you for teaching kids how to win gracefully.

Thank you for giving kids a safe place to be active and have fun.

Thank you for giving constructive criticism to help our kids learn the game better.

Thank you for celebrating a child’s milestone. Maybe it’s their first home run, first basket, first goal, first recital. Thank you for being excited for them.

Thank you for allowing these kids to make mistakes while helping them get right back up.

Thank you for instilling the love of the activity.

But most of all, thank you for caring about these kids.

Youth coaches — including those teaching musical instruments, tutors, gymnastics, cheerleading, and everything in between — you are very much appreciated. Without you, we wouldn’t be able to give our children access to all these activities. Because you care about these kids, we can continue to spread the love for these activities and help our kids find their place in this world.

This fall I signed up to be an assistant coach for my daughter’s softball team. We are only a few weeks into our fall season, but these kids have made me so proud. To feel the joy you see in their face after crushing the ball or making an out makes all the time put in worth it. As a coach it is so hard to see a kid fail who has tried so hard to master a skill. It’s so hard to see them get down on themselves and lose confidence. There are so many aspects that are hard, but being able to push them to overcome hard things and see them persevere is worth it.

But as a coach, I also must thank the parents.

Thank you for giving your child the opportunity to try something new.

Thank you for getting your kid to practices and games.

Thank you for trusting us with your kid.

Thank you for not talking poorly about your child’s coaches.

Thank you for your patience when we make mistakes.

Most importantly, thank you for being your child’s #1 fan.