Spring 2019 & Spring 2022

This experience taught me that no matter how much you study and prepare, nothing can truly replace hands-on experience. My first spring of coaching got off to a rough start. I quickly realized that while knowing coaching techniques and having a solid practice plan are required, understanding the players and the dynamics between them is just as important. I found myself trying to run drills while players were bursting into tears because their friend hadn’t passed them the ball. We worked through it and ended the season on a positive note, but it was a steep learning curve. When I coached soccer again – after several seasons were cancelled due to COVID – the experience went much more smoothly. This experience has taught me to remember that there will be dynamics between the students before the school year even begins, and that the aware I am of those dynamics, the easier it’ll be for me to teach the class.