Who Me?

          The last week has been a whirlwind of activity in my personal life.  While this post won't go into my teaching, my classroom, or my environment there at all, I am finding the need to post this reflection.  A couple of months ago I received word that I had been nominated for an award.  I have coached most of my life, I love what I do, I enjoy watching the kids succeed when they didn't think that they could.  I do not however coach for the accolades that it might bring.  This award seemed like fluff to me and I wrote it off.  After much pressure I was asked to reconsider so I filled out the paperwork and sent it in.  I thought nothing of it.  Then I get the email, I open it considering that it will be a basic; thank you for your application but we have decided to go with some more highly qualified candidates.  The email didn't say that at all.  In fact it said that I was one of eight finalists for the award.
         National Coach of the Year.  One of eight finalists in my sport.  How?!?  I have had some successful teams but it isn't about the coach, it's about the kids, the athletes.  My school where I coach is through the roof about how exciting of an honor this is.  I'm still hesitant.  Then the news channels picked up on the story.  They go ahead and decide to honor me with the Ed Thomas Coach of the Week.  I have linked the story on my page but I had to think long and hard about putting it up here so that it can be seen.  Ed Thomas, what an amazing coach.  After he was killed his family wrote a book about his coaching philosophies.  I HIGHLY recommend the book to any coach that I know.  The Sacred Acre; A coach who coached based on his philosphies, his life with God and what would make boys into men.  Not an in your face coach who preaches fear but one who preached acceptance, forgiveness and love.  To be even up for the honor myself was humbling.  To win it was beyond anything I could have ever expected.  I can only hope that I would be a small light for my athletes. 
          So now I stand, with a bona fide coaching honor, one among eight finalists for national coach of the year.  I don't rethink my coaching philosophy because that hasn't changed but if it brings in a kid who might not have gone out for a sport into my program and it helps to better them, then I am all right with that.  I am confident in who I am as a person that I know this coaching award isn't anything more than what I have always done and always considered the way to do things.
          Just two days later I helped to coach our boys team to a state runner up finish.  As the assistant to the program I am able to build a different relationship with our team and hope that our kids will look back on these days with fondness and friends that will last a life time.
         "Sometimes it isn't about what you are doing, but about how you are doing it."