It’s been 3.5 months since this Pirate was left to fight with Beastie, the Unemployment Kraken. She’s been a tough one to knock down. So has this article, this paragraph read 2 months originally. Saavy?
Without an incredible support system, this could be much worse. I can’t help but think about the struggles other people have. Women and men fight through tougher hills with less gear daily.
The vast avenues in which we can support one another lay all around us—listening, offering advice, making an introduction, saying “great job”, providing insightful perspectives, sharing a post, and taking a peek. I’m grateful for all the free KIND acts that have helped over these last 3 months.
The last time I was this fresh into the open market, I NEVER had this much support, to do anything. Really.
Just like most young adults, I had zero clue what to do. I was, however, fresh off a championship season…. sorority intramurals. No, that’s right. I coached the girls. They were tough, resilient, and picked up the strategic part of the game quickly.
What a point in life – amirite? To get somewhere and think, ok. Now what?
We’ve all been at that preverbal fork in the road. I’m not sure which of the forks in the drawer was most like mine but it probably looks most like a spork.
Great.
For real though. If we consider the spear portions of the fork and skills for the job market, I was 1000% a spork. Sturdy AF too.
My girlfriend (and future wife) was heading down her pre-destined path. I love her for it. We all saw her depart for grad school in her rainbow road-esk on-ramp. She knew EXACTLY where her strengths would best suit her for a future of success. She makes the world a better place because of it.
It was up to Sporky here as to where we’d end up. She had options but was set to head back up to New England to get her Masters. She had 2 options in South Florida, where I grew up, to get her Masters.
And why did we end in South Florida?
To coach football.
What I didn’t realize was that I wanted to Coach.
It’s just, I only knew football.
My email said it. The Vistaprint business card said it. Except. No one was calling me Coach. And no one knew HOW to become a football coach. Not around me, at least. My former coaches were focused on their priorities and that involved kids IN school. Not adult kids without direction. So I went where I could learn. Coaching Conferences.
Nike’s Coach of the Year Conference made a stop in Orlando every year. It would take place not long after the Super Bowl ended. I loved being there. So many topics to choose from and things to learn. They provided 2-3 days workshops that were mostly HS/College/Pro Coach X’s & O’s talk. The bigger the Coach, the bigger to room.
Small room for the HS guys (still 30 person room, respectable).
Mid sized room for first year Head Coach Dabo Swiney.
Even back in 2009 was Nick Saban claiming the biggest stage of them all. He was THE most intense. He had an assistant on his toes and helping with the projector play by play review. He’s now the Head Coach at Georgia.
My plan. Be the kid in the front. Take notes, ask a question if I had one. And hope that someone noticed.
Stupid. I know. I can be shy. To be honest, even just 15 years ago – guys weren’t so open to a new guy just….saying…hey.
While it might have FELT like no one was open to connecting – I’ve learned that more men want to support one another than you’d think. They are just looking for the reassurance that it will be well-received. I’m pretty confident in saying that the Men in those rooms were more inclined to help because that was the reason they were all there. These conferences are a version of kindness. Once the games are done, everyone comes together to teach what they’ve learned. Because if any of those Coaches can help ANY kid do better by teaching another Coach, they 1000% will.
I learned so much. It was really exciting. It was usually the Grad Assistants that would be the most supportive. It’s completely different now but when I was younger, there was usually 3-5 GAs on any major college team.
Being a coach was never in the cards. It was a pipe dream. In hindsight, it kinda feels like I let myself down. I didn’t REALLY try and I know why. I wasn’t confident enough in myself and assumed no one there would be receptive to building connections.
Who knows what Sporky would have done as a Coach. Life started costing money and I set my focus on finding as much of it as I could.
At a retail bank.
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
Zero guidance.
But….
I still have the email and I found one of the business cards. Good thing I held on to it too. It helps make life feel so much more poetic.
I know a lot more than football now. My fork this time….sharp, purposeful, supportive. Still sturdy af.
We set our sails towards the first frontier of making this world a kinder place.
Our heading?
The workplace. To Coach Kind.
“When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.”
Jimi Hendrix
During my time on this Earth, I’ve seen how leaders can guide and develop. Some choose to, others don’t. But most don’t even know what they are doing and it’s only leading people to be unhappy and leave. If we can help people become more confident in their ability to serve and lead their teams, the world will be a kinder place.
Nike COY Clinics are still a thing, btw. Gotta revisit, this time as a REAL Coach.
Cliche-ily humming this perfect fit of a song from the time period of our story.