Soccer Lessons – My Amazing Shooting Stars!!!

The team name was given 7 years ago… and even as the girls aged they did not change their team name.  Faces changed.  Players left.  New players joined us.  Little girls grew up, but their spirit always remained.  They always stayed the “Shooting Stars.”

I am emotional thinking about the end of this season.  It feels almost like the end of childhood.  Many of these girls were 7 years old when I met them.  Now they are thinking of what high school will be like.  Wow!  Time really does fly….

I write this with a tear in my eye.  What a season we had.  Probably not what many of us expected – at least in the win / loss column.  No one can predict injuries.  No one can predict competing in a higher division.  We lost more than we won.  We tied a few, too.  From each loss I hope we learned.  We kept practicing – sometimes shooting drills until they were blue in the face.  I was loud at times.  I went quiet fewer times.

One thing superceded everything.  We were a team… almost functioning like a family.  We experienced frustration, enjoyment, laughter, anger, learning.  I am not sure we missed many emotions – right, girls???

But as any great story goes, we had our happy ending.  The girls finished their season playing their hearts out and winning their last two games.  I asked for 100% effort – no giving up ever – and I got it.  The effort was there and the final result was two hard-fought victories!

I can honestly say that I regret nothing about this season.  Even practicing in the elk poop at SMS – many times in the rain!  My Shooting Stars taught me that sometimes you teach more than just winning.  Sometimes you teach losing with grace and sportsmanship – and learning from mistakes.   If you can accept losses with grace then maybe the victories feel that much better.

So to my team:  ReAnnah, Sierra, Adrienne, Natalie, Emilia, Paige, Taylor, Becca, Kayla, Kaitlyn, Madison, Maria, CeCe – and the ones who lost their season to injury: Jennifer, Katie and Rachel….  you are amazing girls.  You played with heart and you learned along the way. I look forward to seeing you grow in your high school years!

You made this fall one to remember and encouraged me to think hard.  You helped me realize there was more than just winning every game.  In life there is always more to learn.  You showed heart, passion and guts… no matter if you won or lost.

To my FC Snoqualmie Shooting Stars:  There is nothing else to say except I am proud.  You are a great team!  Thank You.  I truly enjoyed coaching you.