When Monmouth College’s head soccer coach, George Perry, asked me to coach a youth soccer team at Monmouth’s YMCA early this semester, I was initially reluctant to accept the position.

I knew this commitment would require a lot of time, but I eventually decided that it would help me stay involved in soccer; so I gave it “the old college try.” 

With the assistance of junior Drew Leschman and seniors Katie Graham and Jessica Holbrook, I officially became the coach of the Warren County sixth to eighth grade soccer team.

With no prior coaching experience, I showed up to the first practice not knowing what to expect. Only 10 kids showed up to that practice. As I spoke to them for the first time, I realized that I would have to earn their respect.

Our first game was just three days later in Galesburg. At the game, I hardly knew the players’ names, let alone the positions they should play. I put them in a basic 3-3-3 formation with a “rover” as the tenth field player, and our first game ended with an impressive  11-1 victory. I realized that I was coaching a group of immensely talented soccer players, and we could easily compete for a league championship.

Our schedule included at least two games each week, and sometimes we had three games in a week. In addition, we practiced one or two times a week, so I was soon dedicating four to five days each week to the team, which eventually consisted of 14 players.  Although practices were in Monmouth, all of the games were played in Galesburg, and most of the competition was against established Galesburg elementary school programs.

Having been completely immersed in soccer for nearly my entire life, I had a pretty good idea of coaching strategies to teach these kids. My dad coached my older brothers when they were in youth soccer, and he was my coach for much of my playing career. He started bringing me to my brothers’ practices before I could walk and by the time I was in kindergarten I was practicing with kids 4-6 years older than me. Naturally, when I became a coach I turned to my dad for advice.

With my new Monmouth team I devoted a lot of practice time to strategies such as working the ball to the wings and crossing it to the center on offense and containing the opponent on defense. I literally watched these kids transform and adopt a team concept.

In addition, we established a high level of camaraderie and began developing personal relationships. After just two weeks, my relationship with my players went from distant, to one of mutual respect.

As for team achievements, prior to our final game we had won all but one game during the regular season. The game we lost was against Costa, and we had a rematch with them in the final match of the season. The game was played on a Thursday night on a nice field under the lights in Galesburg. After trailing 2-0 at halftime against our biggest competition, the kids came out with an inspired effort in the second half and we ended up earning a 3-3 tie in one of the most exciting soccer matches I have ever witnessed.

This single game more than any other  really started evoking my emotions and made me realize  how passionate I was about coaching soccer.

After the regular season, the only games left on our schedule were the year-end tournament games, which happened to be over Monmouth College’s fall break. We won 4-1 in our first game on Oct. 12, which set up yet another rematch against Costa for the championship on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m.

Costa again earned an early 1-0 lead, but we made some adjustments and our star player scored early in the second half. The game ended in a 1-1 tie, and two 10 minute overtimes could not resolve anything either, despite many opportunities that did not go our way. The game went to a shootout, always a nerve wracking experience, and we were still tied after the first five shots. Costa eventually prevailed by beating us by one goal in the second shootout. The kids were very emotional, but I made sure they all understood how proud they should be of themselves for their tremendous effort and what they had achieved.

After the game, many people (including parents, coaches and referees) came and shook my hand, complimenting me and the other coaches on what a  great job we did with these kids. I bought the kids pizza for a season-ending party, and we all shared some laughs and scrimmaged for a couple of hours.

Our season was over, but the experiences will never leave me. Through this, my first ever venture into coaching, I learned that I want to be a coach for the rest of my life, whether it is volunteering at a park district or assuming a position at a high school.

The real reward, however, came out of the satisfaction I felt while coaching these kids. It is hard to put into words the true essence of this experience, but the lesson I learned is simple: Community service is something that is lacking in most people’s lives.

My suggestion is to find something you like and get involved. The payoff comes from within; you can earn respect and develop friendships with people whom you otherwise may have never encountered. The reward is in the doing.

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