I just left the graduation ceremony for the high school I coach at. I haven't gone to one before. 8 years and no ceremony. I just haven't been able to for one reason or another, but today I could. Aside from all the usual gallantry, it was pretty standard, very nice, and well done. What made it special was how many of my athletes were graduating this year. It was an unusually large senior class for the athletes I coach. Something like 12-15 of my athletes finished up this year. I am really proud of all of them. That seems cliche, but lets all be honest. High school may have been fun for some, but its a struggle for many. I am genuinely happy for these kids. I remember my graduation day (another story for sure), but it was important to me.
One of my perennial JV girls (which i say with absolute love), who's very short and very sweet and very smart was 2nd in the graduating class and got to make a speech. At a moment in her speech about how everyone on this school comes together she spoke very kindly of cross country being the first family she found in the school before she found others. That one small mention meant the whole world to me. The fact that she said she found a family was everything. That she told the whole school, administration, and crowd that cross country was a family for her meant the world to me. I cried a little. Thats real. That happened.
I've worked very hard to try to create that sense of family for my athletes. I've had to defend the time I spend doing this for my team to my principal, my friends, and, at the very beginning, and my wife (who coached with me one year and loves it as I do now). It was so great to hear her mention the team's special meaning to her so all those people I've defended it to could understand at last. That seems selfish... it is. I really enjoyed that my retiring middle school principal heard that. He needed to. I got raked over the coals this past year for my coaching at the high school level while teaching at the middle school. I hope he knows why now. Even just slightly.
For the cherry on top, a former athlete of mine that went on to run in college through sheer will and hard work, was at the graduation for his brother. I sat with his family. I went to his college graduation with them last year. He now has a job at a boys high school for kids in trouble and has now been given the head coaching job for the cross country team. How amazing is that?! I feel as if I was able to pass on what was passed to me. It's a beautiful thing. I can't take the credit for it, but I know what a great person he is and how lucky those kids are to have him. It feels false to say it was my influence. He had other coaches in college, etc. I'm just really happy he's coaching. He'll be amazing for those kids.
I didn't stick around after the ceremony today. There were so many kids to try to get to, or find, and I didn't know where to get to (it was at an event center with lots of exits). I decided to bow out and leave it to the families. One of my athletes, though, called me and asked where I was... I felt bad. I didn't think about how they would want to see me. Next time I will make better plans. I continue to learn how much these kids mean to me and I to them, in whatever capacity that is.
Today was a very selfish affirmation for why I love coaching. I could say it's all about the kids, but it's a lie. It makes me feel very good to see their success. It affirms my efforts for me and gets me excited for the next season and next set of kids.
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