Last Friday our football season ended all too soon. We hoped to be playing well into December but that was not in the cards for us this year. It was a long season. A hard season. A what-do-you-say-to-encourage-the-team, the coach, and even yourself season. It was a losing season which didn’t make it easy, especially when the self-doubt and the “what-ifs” started to creep in. It is funny the way it works. The coaches give the players the credit when they are successful, but when things are bad they make sure to take all of the blame. We had a 2-9 season and not one time did H ever blame the players. There were many times he came home frustrated, but always put it on himself.
Game to game, season to season, we often live in the midst of change. The plans we draw up in our heads can very easily be shifted by a big win or a devastating loss. The coaching life is always up and down and, frankly, it usually doesn’t end up the way we planned. I found this quote and I believe it said it best, “Sometimes it only looks good on the napkin” and that’s what this season was. It was a lot of drawing, it was a lot of planning, and wondering, how can we do more? We had a vision for our season and it just didn’t happen.
Last Friday the clock wound to zero and just like that the season was over. The hard work and late nights have all come to an end. There are no more scouting reports, late night film sessions, or drawing cards. No matter the struggles that the season has brought us, once it is over I immediately want it back. There are no games to get to, no more team dinners, no more pep rallies. Luckily the holidays bring joy to fill that void and it makes the weeks after a little more bearable. Once it is over, it is time to start to find a new routine.
After each of the games I always meet H on the field and exchange a hug. This time this hug was a little bit sweeter and a little bit longer. He knew that everything we went through was all worth it. No matter the outcome of a season we both knew that he has given everything he has to these boys and sometimes it just isn’t enough. It’s about the boys, the boys who will no longer be in his direct care. He aches for those who will graduate, and the ones he may not get the chance to influence again. We hope to see them grow into the young men that we have encouraged them to be. We love the game so much, the highs, the lows, and most importantly, the lessons it teaches us. But for now, it’s goodnight football.
