No Regrets

The year that you've anticipated for years:   Senior season.  It seems like it would never get here.

Maybe it started years ago in youth leagues.  Maybe it was a different sport but it led you down a path to where you are today.  Football, volleyball, golf, soccer--those are the fall sports that are now in full swing.

Maybe you really didn't find this sport until you got to high school but you have spent many hours preparing for these games.  You've worked hard, put in the sweat and tears, and now it is time to put all that into a memorable senior season.

Right now, your dreams are vivid and robust and full of success.  My wish for you is that it is everything that you dreamed of.   You will remember these days for the rest of your life.

It's been a very long time but I remember those feelings and dreams.  Maybe it is because I get to be around a new set of high school seniors every single year so I'm reminded annually of what it is like.  What it feels like.  What it smells like.  The confidence of having prepared well yet the insecurity of was it enough.

If you have done all you can do and lay it all on the line come game time, you should have no regrets.  For most, it represents the end of your athletic career.  I would hope that you take the active lifestyle that you learned from sports and carry it on perpetually.

For others, maybe it is the platform for other things.  If it gets college paid for, great.  That is a wonderful thing.  For the infinitely small number that will become professional at their sport, that's OK too.

But right now, before the games actually begin, it seems like you have all the time in the world.  You do, but you don't.  So savor every moment.

Enjoy the practices.  Enjoy the pre-game meals.  Enjoy your coaches.  Savor the bus rides and the meetings and the time spent with teammates. 

Because I can tell you, before you know it, it will be over.   And then all you have are the memories. 

So build good memories.  Don't be afraid of taking center stage.  Never miss an opportunity to appreciate those around you, especially your family who is probably there every time you take the court or field. 

Don't get caught up in needless drama.  Discard those people from your life who interfere with your focus, with your goals, with your team.

Don't waste a minute worrying about "things."  If you've done the work, arrive ready to play, and give it 100%, you'll have nothing to worry about.

Finish what you start.  If things aren't going well for you, if the victories aren't piling up, find what it is that you can do better and dedicate yourself to those things.

Stay coachable.  I don't know of a single coach around here who doesn't have your best interest in mind all of the time.  All that they really want is for you to be the best that you can be.  They are never never never trying to get in the way of your athletic "career."

In the end, the effort, the preparation, the dedication, and the focus are what matters most.  All that other stuff will take care of itself.

And parents, give your child the room to make the best of this season.  Support them, love them, and for goodness sake, be there for every game.   It will most assuredly be over in the blink of an eye.