league champions by fifth grade . When the players arrived in the fall of 2016 , they were five-time champions between tournaments , outdoor and indoor soccer seasons .
But for all the late elementary school soccer success , a host of new issues arose as the players got older . Especially when they reached middle school , a transition that many will admit is the most difficult transition for any student .
Time to build the ‘ Family First ’ environment
Identifying your leverage point for change can be a challenge . If you are new in your position or at your school site , the moment of change is easier to identify . It ’ s the moment you step into your new environment .
But if you ’ re looking to strengthen your team under a new strategy , and you ’ ve been entrenched in your position for some time , there may be more difficulty . It may force you to use the calendar as the leverage point : a new school year ; perhaps returning from a long vacation like winter break .
The transition to middle school would be the appropriate place to leverage a culture change with our team . We called it “ Family First ,” and we began installing it when the players and families returned to practices in the summer .
Under the Family First strategy , players were to support and respect each other on the practice field , at matches , and perhaps most importantly at school . The same went for the parents . This was a collective effort to build positive affirmation and commitment to each other .
As I mentioned earlier , recreation soccer brings unique abilities , and the Family First strategy was a team effort to prevent the “ Mean Girls ” syndrome . This strategy would allow everyone to comfortably have a say in what we did and how we operated , as well as open a dialogue focused on trust and understanding .
Some players , as you would expect , were still more vocal than others . But there was positivity in the air . The players didn ’ t hesitate to pull the coaches aside and talk strategy or their role on the team . Before this strategy was put in place , it would normally be the parent who spoke up for their player .
It proved powerful to all of us because we had the buy-in of every member of our soccer family .
But for every strategy , there is that moment that can throw all of your good work and your 9-0 season record out of the window : Crisis .
We watched it come together There is an aura that comes with playing for the city championship under the lights in
a real stadium on a Friday night . The spotlight , however , can strengthen some and crush others .
It was crushing for the Piranhas . The team hadn ’ t fallen behind in a match all season , but 15 minutes into this championship we were down 2-0 . The players were stunned . The coaches were stunned . The families were stunned . The cheering on the other sideline was deafening .
Then the lights went out in the stadium . January | February 2018 35