The kids had a scrimmage on Thursday, and it went pretty well, or at least what I expected. We only practiced actual game play in one practice, so I expected it would be rough around the edges. There were some obvious issues we need to deal with, but it wasn't nearly as disorganized and chaotic as I expected.
A couple of years ago, I had an assistant coach that said to me, "You can't make them care." I know that he was right, but I still put a lot of responsibility on my own shoulders to get them to care. That's what coaches do! I get frustrated when kids don't show up because of a little snow or because they're a little sick or whatever.
Today I kind of realized that brief lapses in intense commitment are not the end of the world. I see this because today at practice I had a hard time staying motivated. Last night we had a surprise birthday party for my wife and I was tired and exhausted this morning (particularly surprising since I didn't drink at all). I don't feel like I was giving the kids a full on effort today.
This year so far I've found a lot of balance in everything I do as a coach, and motivational expectations appear to be yet another thing that requires balance. I want to go to nationals in the worst way, but regardless of the season's outcome, I'm going to make a difference no matter what. I have to keep that in mind.
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