It’s All About The Kids
Last week, I attended the CYC Archdiocesan volleyball playoffs at St Catherine Laboure. Whenever I visit a local CYC gym, I enjoy reading the banners on the wall. It’s fun to look for names of players who I have watched play over the years. It is like a CYC sports history lesson.
St Catherine Laboure has a successful CYC sports program. Over 60 banners on the wall will attest to many years of CYC champions. However, there is something different about the banners on the wall at St Catherine Laboure. Something I have never seen in all my years of banner watching. Not one banner included the name of a coach. Just the players’ names were displayed on each banner. Why is that? Because it is all about the kids.
Service
I’m not saying everyone else is wrong for including names of coaches on their banners. Parents devote many hours to coaching and the recognition is good. Many of our schools and churches have banners, plaques, and other ways to recognize those who have served the parish. Our CYC coaches provide a valuable service to their parishes by giving time and talent to the kids they coach.
Sportsmanship
The true measure of success for your sports team should be the improvement made from the first day of practice to the final game of the season. If your team has developed their skills in a positive way and they play better as a team you have enjoyed a successful season. A coach’s value should be measured on these principles, not on a won-lost record. Sure, it’s great to have your name on a banner, but it is even greater to have a player tell you they had fun this season and they are a better player because of your coaching.
Faith
Humility is a virtue we should all work to embrace in our lives. Putting others needs before our own. Jesus was the model of humility; a true servant to others. When we coach CYC sports, everything we do must be for the kids. In victory, it is not our accomplishment as a coach, but the kids who deserve the praise. It is not about our name on a banner, or in the parish bulletin, or on a Facebook post. Coaches should use success as an opportunity to, as a team, thank God for the blessings of the gifts given, and praise the efforts of the players on the team.
We are grateful for the many hours our coaches spend with CYC teams. It can be a thankless job and the pay is pretty weak. We appreciate your efforts to serve your parish community and the kids on the team. Hopefully, your players and their parents will take the opportunity to thank you. We hope you, as a coach, take the opportunity to praise your players for their hard work, because, after all, it’s all about the kids.
