12 hour Wednesday

Match day. It was an hour away. All of the kids huddled in the back. I normally let them have some space to talk while I listen in and talk to the bus driver (who turned out to be Shane's). I'd yell at them on the mat soon enough. 

It takes a different kind of courage to show up somewhere you know you're going to get destroyed. My goal was for some close matches to build experience. If anyone won, that would be bonus. My boys are learning, but we're far from elite.

The other team put on a pinning clinic. Cradles were the order of the day.

It was tough. I kept it constructive and their morale was up, but would have loved some more success to bolster my own. It was expected given the competition.

I have 8 kids when everyone is healthy (7 showed up tonight). Our opponent had over 30. Their coach told me he normally has 40-60 try out and then he makes cuts. Meanwhile, I accept anyone with a pulse (If they show up without one I assign them to the team and start CPR).

I will lose half my squad to the high school next year. Another is moving. I have to find a way to replenish, or the team could disappear. I tried to start a club at the middle school, but no one came. I plan to target the upper elementary school this off season.

If the team survives another year, I'll have coached as long as my first coach, Coach Fredrick. It was only three years, but being on a healthy team left an impact. I'd like to hang on longer than that!

There are lots of other small hurdles on the way. For one, my AD is poorly organized. He never contacted the high school about our home meets, so I called to set them up. I double checked on one of our matches and got a call back saying, "We don't have a middle school team." Yesterday, I noticed that the schedule I was sent and the one posted listed different locations for a match. I had to text the other coach to confirm (and the new schedule was wrong). I've gotten in the habit of checking in with other coaches before matches and the school's front office to make sure my kids are dismissed.

Next year, I may try and take over scheduling altogether. I've made a few executive decisions about finding tournaments and matches already (it helps when the team parents have connections). I'm trying to set up our own tournament in February to end the season. Last year, I got a day's notice about the end of the season and an award night. I want this season to end with an event instead of a fizzle.

Meanwhile, the HS coach took four kids to a tri-meet in another county. I had almost double his numbers. I told him that a couple of mine could weigh as much as one of his.

He replied, "A full team by 2018-19!"

We've got a good core group of kids. If they stick around they could be the seed to start a decent program.