Well after some many months (actually almost a year), we are actually one day away from the start of our pre-tournament camp in Vancouver. I will joining the team next Tuesday but as a group, training and team building activities start tomorrow.
Why the title for this post? Well, the good is that we are about to get started, the bad and disappointment covers the main topic of today's post. From the 20 players we initially selected, we have had to replace 5 with athletes from our list of alternates. Getting injured and having to miss playing time is always a possible reality of sport and something no one likes, but I think that when it occurs to an athlete preparing for an event that only occurs once every few years, getting an injury that forces you to miss the event must be even harder to take. This is even more true when you think that for some athletes, it might be that this once change to participate is the only chance they get. I think that for any athlete, being able to participate at the highest level of competition possible for their sport, is or at least should be the goal.. and for our CIS soccer players, the FISU games are just that. While the CSA might not recognize this team and this event as part of their developmental model, the 20 players who will be in China, still wear the Maple Leaf, still represent Canada and also represent the CIS network of varsity university soccer team. For a 2 week period, these athletes will be the face of Canada and Canadian sport (and this goes for all of the 250 athletes in different sports). It is too bad that these games are not more widely talked about and covered by sports media. I feel for those 5 athletes that we had to replace, because these lose out on this life experience and for the chance to experience their sport at the highest level. The silver lining for 3 of them, I guess, is that they were part of the team in 2009. But when one door closes, another one opens, so 5 players we had previously cut from the team are not given a second chance and maybe that is the flip side to the ugly and disappointment of sport, getting the opportunity to step in and make your mark, because isn't that a big part of life, getting a second chance. I am lucky to have the second chance to live these games and to do so in a country that maybe if not for the games, I might not have considered visiting. It will just add to my life experiences and be one more thing that I can say "been there, done that". My playing career in different sports may have been limited in terms of achievement and success but I certainly get the chance via coaching to see some amazing things. When people ask me why I enjoy coaching, one easy answer will always be " because it gives me the chance to meet people and experience things that I would not have had the chance to do so without the coaching" Anyways, enough for now,,,, by
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AuthorAfter many years of coaching at various levels and with different teams, I thought I would share some of my experiences and thoughts about coaching. Archives
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