The Harbin family is deep into our fall sports with 5 different teams in 4 different sports. Charles is playing flag football and soccer, Max is playing flag football and basketball with his school team, and Stone is in cross country. I'm currently coaching 3 of the teams, and we have practice each week on top of the game schedules. It's a crazy time of year, but it's incredibly rewarding. The teams I'm coaching are a combined 17-3, and this coming week, we have 3 of the teams playing for championships, and Stone has a District meet for cross country (Stone had his fastest 5k time ever this past race with a 17:47 time). As all of the hard work this season is coming to a crescendo, it's been a good reminder that people follow energy.
When coaching youth sports, I think it comes down to being able to take the players you are dealt, figuring out how to fit them together to yield the best results, and lead them with energy and enthusiasm. As a coach in youth sports, it's challenging to dramatically increase each player's skill level since you only have 2 hours per week with them as a team; however, it is important to help them develop a good chemistry through repetition of the basics and helping each player understand their unique role and how they add value to the team. I am a huge supporter of encouraging the kids effort and activity and focusing less on the outcome or results. I will be the first to correct them if they make a mental mistake or show a lack of effort, and I will be the first to commend them on a great play or going above and beyond. Kids in youth sports feed off of your energy as a coach, and it is such a joy to see kids play sports, have fun, and have success and breakthroughs. I believe that if kids can learn to play sports with high energy and enthusiasm, then it will help them learn to develop that skill in other areas of their life (like having energy and enthusiasm in school by raising their hand in class and being engaged with the teacher through eye contact and body language, having energy and enthusiasm at hope when it's time to get ready for school and they get dressed and brush their teeth without being asked, etc.)
What I appreciate about each of my boys is the energy and enthusiasm they have in what they do, and I am grateful to have a front row seat in watching them grow as young men. Stone is really applying himself in school and cross country and his efforts are paying off. He's actively researching and figuring out college options, and he has a passion for fishing in his free time. Max displays an intensity and determination in both football and basketball, and he also has recently developed an interest in fishing! He is becoming quite the gentleman having just completed a dance and manners class as well. Charles has continued to hone his skills in soccer and football, and he loves running football routes in the backyard with me as his quarterback. He especially likes to be in 'full gear' including his Christian Kirk football jersey (Jaguar receiver), receiver gloves, and dolphin helmet, ha.
So I encourage each of us this week to lead with energy with each area of our life. Other people will feed off your energy, and life gets more fun when you are surrounded by more people with more energy and enthusiasm. Have a great week!
Pictured below:
* Stone with a red fish he caught
* Charles running with the ball (and me as offensive coordinator in the background with my play-calling cookie sheet)
* Max rebounding and putting back up for the layup