"But why Coach? Why?"

There are lots of different styles of coaching, even at the Y.

I'm really light on technical skills at this age and am more concerned with making sure the kids want to stay in sports. Those kids who are more advanced will move on their own to competitive leagues. I work best with the other kids, the ones who aren't always the best players, but will be better people because they had fun, made friends, exercised, learned to be good sports.

I have played against teams with serious coaches. Guys who played semi-pro. Guys out on the field with their clipboards, yelling at kids out of position. Maybe some kids work better that way. I don't.

I see kids that I coached in elementary and early middle school who are now in high-school and still smile at me and talk about soccer. That's the pay-off. If I'm very, very lucky I'll see these kids grow up, get married, have children, and coach their own kids. What more could a coach ask for?

Editor note: This post was written a few years ago.