The recent Solomon Rec flag football league saw new faces on the sidelines this fall as seniors Breken, Junior, and Matt gave back to the community, spending their Saturday mornings volunteer-coaching the third and fourth grade teams.
Once practices kicked off, the seniors learned quickly the challenges they were going to face. Their players had minimal or no experience in the sport which meant that the seniors had to learn each player's skill level.
Breken compared this to putting a puzzle together. “You have to simplify it so they understand and then learn what they are really good at. It's kind of like putting a puzzle together to figure out who's best at what spots, and then getting them to play together.”
Matt said he is, “used to my teammates understanding the terms I’m using and the plays we run. It was hard to simplify that for the kids in a way they understood and could apply it to the game.”
Junior enjoyed the moment when everything clicked for the players and the puzzle pieces went together and now players were scoring touchdowns and having a lot of fun.
It was important that as they coached through the season, that they had ground rules for the players. Junior ensured that one thing he expressed every practice, every game, was to have fun because it's all about having fun. Breken’s approach focused on how he talked to his players. He said, “I had to balance coaching without hurting their feelings but coach them to push themselves. To give criticism and end it with something good.”
The seniors all reflected fondly on the experience.
Matt said, “I didn't really know what I was getting into, but I figured it'd be nice to help out some of the younger kids. I knew a couple of them already and wanted to see them try out the sport.”
Junior said, “It was definitely really good giving back to the community. I participated in rec sports when I was in Elementary and I made unforgettable memories especially with my coaches. I hope I made an impact on the kids.”
Brecken said, “It was definitely eye opening because you don't really see what your coaches deal with. It was a little crazy at first, trying to figure out what everybody was good at. It was good to give back to the community that gives so much to us.
These seniors and the many students who step into volunteer, leadership, and mentorship roles truly showcase the pride this community has. It is a testament to the rich history of our coaches, teachers, and leaders who set the standard for excellence in everything we do. We have heart, hustle and history here in Solomon!