Sunday, September 9, 2018

Team

Today is the first day of my son's flag football season. I will be coaching his team again, this being the third year. Each year we start with new players, except this years's team is keeping 3 of the same kids as last year. The team consists of 7 or 8 total players. Each of the past two seasons has been successful on many fronts. We have had a winning record each season; we have had fun each season; and every player on the team has scored a touchdown every season. The latter can be a bit of a challenge given the wide range of skill level. I remember the touchdown one of the kids scored last year when he immediately ran off the field to find his mother who had just arrived to tell her the good news. It made for a special moment for that young boy, and for me. 

Football is the ultimate team sport. Go ahead and ask NFL great Warren Moon if he thinks that's true, or the up and coming star quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs, Patrick Mahomes, on why he chose to play football over baseball. The goals of each season for me is always the same and are used to measure my team's success. The ultimate goal is to have fun playing the sport. I see a lot of talk from parents about making sure the kids have fun, but sometimes it's just lip service. I see many parents reliving their youth through their kids, and driving them hard to be better. I also see coaches who think that the kids can't have fun without winning and sacrifice either the less talented kids or the fun of the game to reach that goal. At some point, that's okay. But that point should not come long before high school. Certain talented kids might be an exception to this, but too many parents think their kid is that exception. I enjoy having control of the team as the coach to make sure these kids can be what they are meant to be...kids.


Another important goal to the season is to teach the kids to work together. Again, football is the ultimate team sport. One or two star players will not consistently succeed against a team of players. We practice passing patterns and misdirection run plays, and we practice zone defenses where everyone has a job to do. The kids learn to depend on each other and to help each other. It's great to see them congratulate each other for their successes and pick each other up after their failures. The quarterback cannot succeed without the receiver catching the ball. The receiver cannot score without a good pass from the quarterback. A sack may save a pass defender who let his guy get by him. One defender misses, the next grabs the flag. The joy of coaching is watching the kid's joy in playing. I set these boys up to be successful through practicing fundamentals and some creative offensive and defensive designs. When they grasp the concepts and play together as a team, their joy shines like the sun and warms my soul. 


I would like to thank the boys and girls I've coached in the past as well as in this season and into the future. For they give me a certain joy I seek in life, probably without even knowing it. Go team!


Enjoy Life.

Coach Randal Suozzo, CPC, ELI-MP
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Monday, September 3, 2018

Before you speak...

"Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates: Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?" ~unknown

I grew up the youngest of three children and always found myself the listener around the dinner table. It was tough to get a word in on the conversation, so I learned how to listen and think instead of speak. It is a valuable tool that many people lack.

Being an introvert gives me a head start on this counsel. I have also previously discussed the importance and value of truth. The second gate though, is it necessary, is a little more difficult to determine since it is the most arbitrary. It leaves a lot of room for introverts and extroverts to decide who they are going to be. This is good. One should always be true to oneself. 

The third gate is something that I like to think I have always done well, but I surely have improved on this after meeting my wife almost 20 years ago. She has taught me kindness to others even in the face of adversity. Something that is never easy to do, but freeing when accomplished. Kindness is also something we teach our children. In fact, my kid's school asks for quotes of kindness at the beginning of each year to post around the hallways for every kid to read. I don't know if kindness wasn't very high on the priority list of teachings for my generation and my parent's generation, or if we as adults have forgotten the lessons, but I find it amazing how often adults choose not to be kind. Whether it is through actions or words, this is something I feel we need to practice as much as we preach. Not only do we need to teach the younger generation, but we also need to teach ourselves. 

I enjoy the quote because it reminds me that truth and kindness are powerful. They come into the world through our choosing, and leave it a better place. 

Enjoy Life.

Coach Randal Suozzo, CPC, ELI-MP