This year I did a train analogy for each game I enjoyed the
motivational moments. The first warning
you have that a train is coming is the whistle,
which is all the other team’s we will face get too, from the first blow of the
whistle, it is on. I shared why I was all aboard this season, that I felt tied to these girls with railroad
ties. I gave them boarding pass for a winning
destination. And tried to motivate them
to TRAIN: T.EAM’S R.ELENTLESS
A.TTITUDE I.NTESITY N.OW.
They started the season 4-0. The
steam engine is considered the most powerful idea in the world. No one person invented the steam engine. It
was a case of many small inventions being put together until a specific need
was met. Steam engine was the first form
of human generated power. With it, you could power a locomotive, and pull
hundreds of tons at high speed. Steam
engine not brilliant inspiration on the part of an individual, but the combined
efforts of many people, each building on what someone else had discovered. Steam engines are powered with water and
fire. Put your heads together and go
full steam ahead! They lost a little
steam but learned lose and win as a team that is what I know about us ;)
Then with a lucky penny they shook it off and crushed the next 2 teams they were loaded with
panthers and leaving tracks stepping into victory. After a long week something switched the
other team had a switchman like this: A
man worked in the head office of one of the railroads. One day he received a
telephone call from his counterpart in Newark, New Jersey, who said that a
passenger train had arrived without its baggage car. The patrons were angry. They
discovered that the train had been properly made up in Oakland, California, and
properly delivered to St. Louis, from which station it was to be carried to its
destination on the east coast. But in the St. Louis yards, a switchman had
moved a piece of steel just three inches. That piece of steel was a switch
point, and the car that should have been in Newark, New Jersey, was in New
Orleans, Louisiana, thirteen hundred miles away. We had reached a low point, we are in the
heal position, which is when the engine
is loading up, when the coal is being shoveled into the fire Chugga Chugga we
had to dig out from a loss which is what they CHOO-CHOOsed to do. Learched forward got fired up and blew away
the next 3 teams.
For the big Flag High
game I let them know: Our track always goes through Flag High and each of our
Railroad ties include this as a Winning stop.
From the first whistle blow, we are in pursuit of it. I am certain you have the winning ticket, we
have loaded up for it. They will put
things in our path I know it will take a lot of steam but we can crush
them. You are the part of flipping that
switch and our record is about to flip to 10! I think we CAN, the chugga-
chugga choo- choo it is up to you! We
are Wound to Win! WIN will come when we
link with WORK. W has more points at
the top but it will take some climb to end up on top but I know these Panthers
and they can Climb! I am wound up for
the Win Let’s get to work and ride this TRAIN to a W. Although we didn’t come through with the W I
felt like the track from last year was cleared.
They came back from the loss on fire winning their next 4 matches and
beating the next team in one match 25-3 and knocking off the #1 ranked team! I gave them a little reminder with personal
crossing sign reminding them they were crossing into heavy competition. Our train stopped traffic and crossed through
with a BIG win!
Like the polar express
we kept the hot streak coming not to let it cool we set our standard just like
a train. The track is exactly four-foot,
eight-and-a-half-inches wide. That standard was set by George Stephenson, A
mine worker he worked in different mines the width of the rails varied from
mine to mine since they didn't share tracks.
He simply chose to make the rails for his project 4-foot, eight ½ inches
wide. Train tracks that run across
highest peaks and through valleys have that standard. We set the standard by how we choose to play
from the highest ranked team to the lowest, our standard should not change.
As
the season came to a close we ended up 13-4 with an 8-1 home record, Then we came through the
Tunnel at Sate. We finished with a 14-5
record. When it was all over and we all
came through our arms came up with 5th or 6th place
finish at state.
This is not the season I wanted it was the season I
needed. While I wanted to come back and
thought it was for the girls, through the course of the season I realized I
needed it more for me. I watched these
seniors through 3 coaching changes, I wanted them to have some consistency. What I didn’t realize is I needed the consistency
of coaching more than they needed me. Coaching volleyball is just a part of me, It has been
something I do but this season did something for me. I live for the strategy for the stats and
even the struggle to improve or get better.
.
When I received my treatment plan (strategy) for beating Lyme
and I have watched my numbers fluctuate
like our (stats). Things I thought I
could beat have been set backs and fighting away from home when a win seemed
impossible has come through.
My treatments have paralleled our season like a perfectly
spaced railroad track. It really has
been my therapy, maybe that is why I am struggling with the end of the
track. This has been my source of
balance. I am a little scared to be
without it, holding me up making me push through. I will Need to TRAIN and stay on track big
wins are just around the bend. Llife is
like an old-time rail journey—delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and
jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts
of speed. The trick is enjoying the ride.
Thanks for the ride panthers I have really enjoyed it truly therapeutic
for me!
I was so grateful that as Katie’s first coach I was able to
say a few words at her division 1 signing!
I have been so blessed to coach her!
Now I can be a bit COCKY well for a minute club season is just around
the corner.
