“Give Up All Hope of Having a Better Yesterday”

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Blog Post for today…
Setting this article up…(first by Murray Lincoln, Grandpa of Emma Lindsay, Father-in-law to Bruce Lindsay and the proudest Grandpa EVER!)

Yesterday, on a brilliantly, bright and sunny day a few hundred people gathered to watch the Playoff Game in the Saturday morning Kinsmen Football for ages 9 & 10 year olds.

My wife and I gathered with all the rest to witness the playoff game between the Steelers and the Eagles… the best two teams of the city! Our Granddaughter plays for the Steelers and has done very well as the only girl playing. I mean on all teams there is only one girl – and that is our Emma.

The game was very close… but in the end the Steelers lost to a little bit more powerful team… just a little bit (and whole lot more lucky!).

The game was very close.

Bruce has written the following to me with the idea that maybe we could publish his letter to Coach Joey” for all to read. But today’s Blog is Bruce’s letter to me as well.

Thanks Bruce… thanks a million!

“Give Up All Hope of Having a Better Yesterday”
By Bruce Lindsay

Hi Dad
I thought I'd send you a copy of the letter I've written to Emma's great coach. He is a High School student who is off to University after this year so won't likely coach Kinsmen Football again any time soon. I think it touches the heart of the whole winning and losing thing. You know how feelings come out in a championship game, even with 9 & 10 year olds. Nearly the whole team was crying at the end. What does a coach say except that he is proud of their effort? I know Coach Joey was crying on the inside too.

Last week when the senior team lost, the coach told me that two angry dads called him to accuse him of losing the game because of calling stupid plays. Coach John was actually feeling down already and the irate parents made it worse. Coach John told the dads that if they felt that way, they are welcome to coach next year. He said, “That usually shuts them up pretty quick.”

I told him he needs to see things as they are. The football team is made up of little boys who got very cold little hands and couldn't hold on to the football as well as normal. It is November after all.

My heart broke. I ached for him. As a soccer coach, I know how tough it is to not win. I know how coaches give their all to teach the players how to do their jobs. They rejoice with each success and try to be patient through the setbacks, all the while knowing that parents are losing patience and second guessing every move they make. I don't know if it counts as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, but coaches need to have a quiet place to go to heal too.

Bruce
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November 7, 2009

Dear Coach Joey
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for the excellent year our Junior Steelers have had. Thank you for all the time you have spent with all these little guys and the care and professionalism you have shown from day-one.

Thank you especially for choosing Emma to be your kicker. When you made the decision the day before our first game, I know there were parents questioning your decision. After all, she didn’t make a single kick last year. Thank you, THANK YOU for not giving up on her! Thank you for believing in her, and patiently sticking with her, even when she got no points in one game.

In the first game of the season, she kicked 3 extra point converts and has believed in herself ever since. Each game she improves. She set a Junior League record of 5 converts for 10 points in our first playoff game and, I believe, showed everyone that she is the best in the league now, kicking 3 more in the final. This year she went from a player who really wasn’t sure if she wanted to play, to a determined, confident player who believed she could help the team in many ways. She is confident in herself because you showed confidence in her.

Please don’t feel bad about losing in the final. As a fellow coach, I know there will be times you beat yourself up about it and wonder if you could have done things differently. I know there might even be parents who blame you or somebody else on the team for losing it. But remember that we all have to move on. I like to say we have to ‘give up all hope of having a better yesterday’. Personally, I thought we would win, with Emma’s converts being the difference in the game. It looked that way at half-time.

I hope that this letter will be like a cold glass of water to help you swallow the bitter pill of losing that game. Remember the good stuff. We went 7 & 2 this season. That is simply amazing! We had a great team and a lot of fun. We went to the finals and lost a great game. The lead changed 7 times. Every player left it all out on the field. It was a classic final.

Way to go Coach!

Sincerely;
Bruce Lindsay
Proud Dad of #62 Emma Lindsay, Steelers left guard and kicker.

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~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/