I wear a lot of titles, some for work, some for volunteer positions, some for appointed roles, some nature gave me like son, father (I prefer Papi), etc. Lots of roles, lots of different requirements, and lots of expectations and outcomes. This spring I got a new title, one I never had before, and honestly was really nervous about...
This spring I signed up Cruz for the middle school NFL Flag Football league. I volunteered to be team manager, figuring I know little about football but I would be willing to pack snacks, send team reminders, buy a spare mouthguard, etc. Well then an email came for me to a background check to be a... coach. What? Me? Coach? For football... heck no. So I replied there is a mistake I signed up to be a team manager. They replied, nope, we need a coach.
Either way I was going to get more involved in a sport I knew little about, even less about rules or how to run a middle school flag team. I got trained in watching for concussions, that was good, but no training on the rules except, "see the website for the rule book". So I counted on, and leaned in on my experienced head coach. I figured, I will just mostly be the team manager anyways...
I organized snacks for the first game, and got parents to sign up for subsequent games. I brought extra supplies, scissors, mouthguard, tape... all of which came in handy. I got there early (I know right, me early?) to help set up cones for drills and get the players started on running and stretching (I know that part!). Made sure everyone got their team photo taken, but now I am wondering... we never got the pictures, hum.
So how did it go? Well we ended the season with a winning record and in the tournament. We were out of town for the tournament but our team made it to the championship and took 2nd. It was a team of mostly 6/7th grades versus mostly 8/9th graders.
I enjoyed pep talking them, getting them to calm down and control emotions... both when winning by a lot (no taunting) and when behind (no sulking or sore losers around me!). I learned a lot and will most likely do it again next year. I also wanted to show the team that you don't have to know it all, to try hard and learn and have fun. I told the players I didn't know football well, but I was going to help them train and be in the right mindset to be successful.
It was fun being in a different role with Cruz. The kids often see me as a leader or in charge in other spaces, and while I wore the coach title, Cruz knew I didn't know what I was doing and I was just there as an assistant to the real coach. I don't think I am embarrassed Cruz too much... maybe next year I can just be a team manager... but hey, if I have to coach in order for there to be more teams, I will be ready.