A Lonely and Thankless Job

No matter how much they have accomplished, they are only as good as their last decision. They have to make choices in seconds that will be second-guessed for years. This person sacrifices a lot of family time to help other kids pursue their dreams.

Everyone in the stands feels free to criticize their decisions and make their feelings known. Coaching can be a no-win situation. No matter how much time and energy you give to a kid, if you pull her out of a game just once because she is struggling, her parents may never forgive you.
People will never know about the nights you lay awake trying to think of ways to help their daughter clean up her swing, improve the riseball, develop better footwork on defense, or believe in herself when the game is on the line. You have to have very thick skin, yet be incredibly sensitive to the needs of the kids around you.
Good coaches feel responsible for every loss and give the kids credit for every win. Yet, they often cannot enjoy winning the championship game because some kids did not get to play as much as they wanted and that will not be forgotten by some.
Just when you learn to accept the reality of the situation, someone surprises you. One of your kids calls you before leaving a college campus because she received her scholarship and wants you to be the first to know. A player writes an English paper about someone who was a great influence on her life and the person is you. You get a card in the mail from a former player to thank you for the great impact you had on her life and her words are so touching you have to sit down and compose yourself.
You can make a thousand good decisions but you will always be criticized for the one choice you made which cost you a championship game. There are a hundred times you will consider quitting and enjoying more time with family, golf, or fishing. But, then, one day as you walk through the grocery store a young woman you barely recognize stops to give you a hug and tell you about her exciting career and family. And, she says, it is all because you believed in her and helped her believe in herself at a time when she needed it most.
You can’t wait to get back on the field again.