Fall is soccer season for our family, and in the past week we’ve gone to five games. Five! It’s busy and hectic and so.much.fun. (most of the time) but it is a huge time commitment for families, kids, and especially coaches.
My daughter’s two coaches are parent volunteers who show up each week and make practice fun for the kids. They play “knock-out” and run around on the field. They cheer for the girls each game and give them high-fives and tons of compliments. My son’s coach is a new dad who spends 3 days a week with a bunch of 9 and 10 year olds…and somehow keeps them focused and engaged. These coaches could be doing something else with their time, and I’m so thankful they have chosen to invest in kids and help build them into happy, healthy players.
October 6th is national “Celebrate a Coach” day and this is the first year our family has really understood how incredibly important it is to have a wonderful coach when it comes to kids’ sports. As my two kids get older and more involved with their team, they are naturally spending more and more of their after-school hours with their peers and coaches. It can be exhausting after school but somehow their coaches make it fun.
Exercise is such an important part of life, and coaches play a huge role in making exercise fun rather than a chore. If you’re interested in celebrating and acknowledging your child’s coach this month, here are some great ideas!
- Send them a gift card
- Have your child write a heartfelt note or draw a picture for their coach
- Tell them you appreciate their time and effort
- Give them a shoutout on social media
- Have the team sign a thank you card
- Offer to help at practice
- Bring coffee for an early morning game
- Make them cookies or a special treat
- Have your child offer to help set up before practice
- Organize a gift from the whole team
We hope you have wonderful coaches you can celebrate this month, and please share other suggestions in the comments.
Happy National Coaches Day!