Soccer,Culture, Growth and Memories: Panorama Ridge in La Trinity

A year of meetings, planning, and fundraising led to one culminating moment, the sense of euphoria, pride, accomplishment at the end of a successful experience travelling with my Senior Girls Soccer team from Surrey, British Columbia to the Twin Island Nation of Trinidad and Tobago.  Though we began our journey with a somewhat rocky start, having to spend over 18 hours in Philadelphia after the  plane was diverted for a medical emergency. The students and their resilience made the trip one of the most memorable life experiences I have had to date as an educator.

Highlights

1. The tireless work and support for an amazing soccer experience for all parties by Former Whitecaps Keeper and Mountain FC Coach Richard Goddard.  Richard set up the whole Tobago Tour leg including scrimmages, tours of Tobago (Bucco Reef, Nylon Pool and Bishops High School).  Richard is doing amazing things and trying to bring experiences for the youth of the Island of Tobago to open their eyes to the plethora of opportunities the world will provide with the right support.
2. Meeting members through the Division of Youth and Sport in Tobago who were wholly supportive of our tour and want to develop a relationship with our school to continue these types of tours for both parties involved.
3. Playing a Scrimmage with U17 National Team of Trinidad and Tobago at the historic Larry Gomes Stadium in Arima.
4. The Tours and Cultural Experiences the girls and chaperones participated in: (Bucco Reef, Nylon Pool, Bishop's High School, Tobago Sunday School, Trinidad and Tobago Fire Hall (Chaguanas), How to make a steeldrum with Historic Steelpan Innovator- Jimi Philip- Visiting the Panyard of Supernova's Steel Orchestra with the prolific arranger-Amrit Samaroo, Maracas Beach, Trincity Mall, Tours of Port of Spain, Tunapuna and St.Joseph.

With this all taken into consideration, the biggest highlight for me was to see the country of Trinidad and Tobago and its wonder through the eyes of the students.  They were so intrigued and willing to try new food, cultural activities, and experiences.  They knew this was a one in a lifetime experience and they wanted to take part in everything.  Watching them interact at Bishop's High School with the other students and realizing that they are all going through similar shared experiences allowed the girls a different perspective on life.  And though we went to play soccer, the girls came back with more:

1. Memories they will cherish with their friends and team-mates for the rest of their life.
2. A respect and understanding of how big and small the world is.  Though we all come from different, unique and beautiful spaces, many life experiences are relate-able- leading to a somewhat shared consciousness.
3. A respect and understanding for the socio-economic and cultural uniqueness of Trinidad and Tobago and how it affects the lives of the peoples of Trinidad and Tobago.
4. How diverse the islands are based on the historical battles of colonialism and how the affects of slavery and indentured servitude helped build the demography of the country. 
5. The social nuances and cultural nuances of each country and how to interact within these nuances.
6. But most important, how lucky and privileged they are to live the lives they do and how much of that is a direct correlation to their parents hardwork, love and support.  Many of the girls came back with more empathy and love for each other and everyone they socially interact with.

I hear the girls humming Calypso and Soca Music in the hallways.  I hear them talking about the beauty of the island, the innovation of its people, the understanding of the steelpan instrument and how exotic and delicious the local food was.  This is what learning is, it is knowledge, application, experience and synthesis.  The girls have become honorary Trini's and will be so for the rest of their lives.

Coaching: Let them Play

I remember waking up this summer and reading an article about Patrick Kane playing beer league hockey with his friends and even being the beer league MVP.  It reminded me of the infamous Michael Jordan clause- For the Love of the Game Clause- where Michael Jordan was allowed to play pick up games without recourse of losing his contract our pay if he got hurt participating in non-team sanctioned pick-up games.  Both Patrick Kane and Michael Jordan have more at stake than some of my high-school amateur players, but if you were to ask some local coaches, that may not be the case.  

School sports are one of the only times where students whether they excel or not get an opportunity to perform with their peers, and in-front of their peer group on an everyday basis.  Peer recognition and school pride is at stake, but many students will not participate not because they do not want to, but because their club coaches will not allow them to.  I believe that if parents are worried about their child's health and injury risks then parents should make those decisions, but as it currently stands, many of the players at local schools want to play but are coerced by their club coaches to not.  Some are even threatened and punished with playing time if they miss a practice for another sport.

Coaching both club and school sports I understand the argument on both sides.  Club coaches spend countless of hours coaching and developing players and do not want to see them get hurt playing outside of their control.  They may see some school coaches as not qualified to coach soccer and thus will not understand injury prevention and over-tiredness.  School coaches are faced with shortened seasons, but athletes who want to play sports but are told not to.  People point at lack of skill of some players in certain leagues which could lead to injury to high performing athletes, but injury could happen anywhere?  I am trying to understand the difference between injuries at the club sport compared to an injury at a school sport?

Nonetheless, looking at the Long Term Athletic Development model most of the students I coach would be in the Train to Train: where young athletes need to build an aerobic base and consolidate their sport- specific skills. Towards the end of the stage, they need to focus on strength and the anaerobic alactic energy system. Increased training hours are needed at this stage to develop each athlete’s long-term potential (LTAD, Stages website).  Notice its focus is not winning, but more on training for athletes.  Students starting highschool basketball in grade 9 should be able to play the sport they love without fear of repercussion from club coaches.  They are not just training but consolidating and transferring sport specific skills to their new sports.  They are being active and and playing sports that they will hopefully love and play for life.

In the end, some of my best youth experiences were not just travelling with my club teams but playing and travelling with my friends.  If we focus more on developing humans that are healthy and are active in their adulthood rather than focusing on winning at such a young age, you will give students more of an opportunity to train and practice their skill sets by playing multiple sports.  Beyond this, the skills of humanity, leadership, teamwork, friendship will carry on into their adulthood making the active participants in society.  In the end, let the kids play for the LOVE OF THE GAME!

Why I coach

Growing up in North Surrey in what would be considered an inner city school neighborhood, there were opportunities to go down alternative routes.  One thing that kept me from those alternative lifestyles was the fact that I played a lot of school and community athletics.  From Track and Field at KB Woodward with Ms. West and Ms. Powell, to a multitude of sports like Volleyball (Mr. Penner), Basketball (Mr. Mcleod & Mr.Tait), Rugby (Mr. Sandve) and Soccer (Mr. Gill), I have had a lot of people who have provided lots of opportunities to do something positive in my community. Because of their sacrifice of time to make me a better athlete, but most of all a better person, I feel as though I should maintain their legacies by giving back to my community.  

One of the most important reasons for school sports is to give children an opportunity to play sports with their friends.  I have sat in many conversations about coaching (Neufeld, Pedersen,Vaughn to name a few) and I have changed my philosophy because of discussions I have had with other coaches in the Surrey School District.  Competition is a very important aspect for many coaches and at times the "W" becomes the most important thing. Others like providing opportunities for all kids, not just the Star athletes who are also playing in the community, but the kids who have been introduced to the sport and want to play the sport in a somewhat organized- somewhat competitive format.  This sounds a lot like intramurals to some, but I am not here to discuss the best routes, whether its competitive or intramural routes for school athletics.  

I coach first and fore-most to build relationships and to mentor my students outside of the classroom. Coaching allows me to see and experience students in their areas of interest.  Like a Drama teacher puts on a play, or a band teacher puts on a concert, I like seeing students succeed in their areas of interest.  Its not about winning a championship, as its more about the looks of accomplishment on their face when they score that lay up they could never do.  Getting to know students outside the classroom and watching them develop through different activities allows me to better understand who they are in the classroom.  This gives me a bigger picture of who they are outside the letter grades and the percentages.

Secondly, I coach to encourage the love of the sport and encourage them to live a healthy lifestyle through participation of sport.  This year, I have had to re-examine my coaching values as I have benched players and not let others play in specific games for the "W".  I had to ask myself at the end of a long ride home from Ladner, What is my purpose in coaching school sports?  I came to the conclusion to that it is to provide an opportunity for my students to play sports.  Whether or not we win or lose, at least they have a chance to play, like how my teachers gave me chance.

Sportsmanship is another huge reason I coach.  Teaching students to follow the rules, to play within the means of the game with integrity, honesty and care are important values they can transfer into the real world.  Working hard and always trying their best is an important aspect as well. Watching my players play with integrity and not through dirty tactics all while achieving their goals is an enlightening experience.

Every team is different and every team has different goals and needs.  As coaches we need to evaluate each team and have open discussions with our players about which values are the most important to the team.  Winning can be a value that gets presented by players, parents, and fans, but we must remember that this cannot be the only and defining value.  If you want to coach to win, there are alternative avenues to do so in club and community athletics especially at the hire levels.  Nonetheless, at the school athletic level, I think the most important avenue is giving the kids a chance to play a sport, to participate athletically with their friends which will help build them personally, but also build the school community and the overall community on a whole.  

   

The Fan: Cheering for Your Students

I remember playing in a basketball tournament in South Surrey during my Freshman year of high school.  Waking up for that 9:30  a.m. game and walking into that gym was tough.  Losing one game put us on the other side of the bracket...no Championship, but we were playing for 5th and 6th.  The game truly didn't mean much to my team and I as we started to warm up, but this games importance went beyond the win or loss because for once in my young career, one of my teachers actually showed up on a Saturday morning to watch me express myself on the basketball court. 

Even though this teacher lived only 5 minutes from the host school, it wasn't the distance that was impressive, it was the fact that they were there with their children taking in the game.  They took time out of their busy schedule, out of their personal time, to show my teammates and I that they cared about us outside of what we did in the classroom. I remember that day vividly, and still smile warmly at the cheers of encouragement my teacher gave us when we did something positively on the court.

When I first came into the field of education, I made three rules;  1. I would always coach.  The teachers at my inner city high school gave up their time to keep us out of negative situations, so I told myself I would give back to my community as well.  2. When I had children, I would bring them along to watch amateur sport, as it truly is an amazing experience. 3. I would try to show up and cheer for students who were participating in teams or events locally.  It does not have to be a championship game or take up a lot of your personal time, but it does make a difference.  At the high school level there are events, whether fine arts or athletic events, happening on a daily/weekly basis.  I may walk into the gym after school and watch a few possessions in basketball, or walk into the music room and listen to the Junior Jazz Band play "Georgia on my Mind".  I may show up at a Provincial final and watch our teams try their best on a Saturday evening (with my kids).  But the 3 things that never ceases to amaze me are: 1. Watching these students express themselves in their field of passion. 2. Living through their successes and failures and developing a bond with them through this interaction. 3. The "thank you's" and smiles you get from them when they see you there.

Encouragement does not need to come in the form of  their in class assessments. Nor do you have to drive to a far away tournament to show your encouragement.  Showing up and being apart of moments like band concerts, drama showcases, dance competitions, athletic events, student council events help show your students that you see them beyond the small fragment of their identity in the classroom. You win with them, you lose with them, you understand who they are and help them create the idea of a Comm-U-nity within and outside the walls of the school.  In the end, by you taking a little time to learn a bit about your students and see them interacting within their field of interest, you will do the most important thing a teacher could ever do- Build a positive relationship to help mentor students! Be their cheerleader not just in the classroom but in life as well!