I like sports. As long as I can remember I have played any sport available to me and whether I have been good at it or not I have enjoyed it. It inspired me to play sports in high school and college and even become a sports writer for my school. This was a shift for me because when I was younger I did not show a huge interest in watching sports.
I remember watching the Super Bowl and an occasional college football game but I was not super crazy about sports the way I am now. Something switched when I was in middle school and I still don't know what it was but in middle school, I wanted to watch sports more often and started following more teams specifically. It was at this time I knew I wanted to be involved in as many sports as possible even if I was not good. Looking back at all those PE classes in middle school or 7v7 scrimmages in soccer I found a love of sports and a way to always do my best even if I had my struggles.
While I got better at sports I never considered myself a coach. I could push people but my knowledge was not as good as I wanted. I could provide a demonstration but I could not promise it to be good. I could though promise it would give the team the right idea. Even despite my career in sports and how it has continued in college I was never prepared for my biggest challenge: intramural coaching.
I was never going to get rid of my love sports in college. While I was not talented enough or had the time for club sports I knew intramural sports was the best opportunity for me. It allowed me to continue to play the sports I loved and even see improvement. Whether it was soccer, dodgeball or even volleyball each game seemed to be a stepping stone. It inspired me to continue my healthy lifestyle and increased my love for sports.
I played in sports and would provide motivation to my teammates and friends when I was sideline resting or waiting to substitute. In soccer, I was able to provide my knowledge from playing and direct it to my teammates. There were instances I would jokingly say "Wow, I think I am turning into my coach," but I knew that would not happen. My soccer coach is one of my mentors and is responsible for not only developing me into a better soccer player but a more confident man. Even when I was "coaching" my friends I knew I was not having the same impact as a real coach, and I was satisfied with that. My goal was to provide advice in the best way and be a supportive friend and teammate.
While soccer prepared me to direct motivation to my teammates the same can not be said about basketball. I never played basketball for a team and when I did play I was primarily used for defense or to provide assists. You could call me Chris Paul but just remove all the accolades and dunk ability. I watched basketball and I knew a few terms but that was pretty much it. When my fraternity let me coach them in basketball I knew I was not going to have to do much but I still knew I wanted to do enough. I studied plays, I learned the best matchups and I learned how to adjust. Most of the night just ended with me yelling "Watch the post" or "Set up the screen." I also was able to take notes that will prepare me for our next game.
I might not be the best coach well actually scratch that I am not the best coach. However, this opportunity allowed me to do something outside of my comfort zone and this can be a defining moment of how far I personally feel I have come. I view my coaching as a way of spending time with my friends and feeling apart of the team even if I am not playing. That's what I believe matters the most to me, doing things that might be different for us but making an attempt to go through with it.
