Christmas morning. My phone buzzed.
A message from a parent I did not know well. Her son James had joined the team in September. Quiet kid. Not the most talented. Showed up every week, tried hard, rarely complained.
“My son has talked about nothing but football since September. He used to dread sports. Now he cannot wait for training. Thank you for making him love the game.”
I sat with that message for a long time.
Christmas is a day for counting what matters. That message reminded me what coaching actually provides.
The Rewards Nobody Mentions
People talk about winning games. Player development. Trophy moments. Recognition.
Those are real. But they are not the rewards that sustain coaching over years.
The real gifts are the relationships built through shared struggle and celebration. The growth witnessed not in skills but in confidence and character. The impact made on young lives during formative years. The purpose found in contributing to something beyond yourself.
James did not become a better footballer because I am a brilliant coach. He became someone who loves football because he felt welcomed, included, and valued. That is the gift I gave him. The message was the gift his mum gave me.
What I Am Grateful For On Christmas
I am grateful for the players. Their trust in showing up every week. Their effort even when they are tired or struggling. Their growth that happens slowly then suddenly. Their personalities that make every session different.
I did not have to be their coach. They did not have to have me. The match-up is a gift that neither of us earned.
I am grateful for the parents. Even the challenging ones teach something. But especially the ones who support without interfering, trust the process, volunteer when asked, and understand that development matters more than results.
I am grateful for fellow coaches. The ones who share knowledge freely. The ones who offer perspective when I am stuck. The ones who provide support during difficult stretches. The ones who challenge my thinking when I am too certain of myself.
I am grateful for the game itself. Football is a universal language. A development vehicle. A joy creator. A purpose provider. I get to spend my time with the beautiful game and share that with young people.
The Moments That Reminded Me This Year
The player who could not pass with her weak foot in September and scored with it in November. The parent who apologised for questioning me earlier in the season. The assistant coach who said he had become a better father through what he learned coaching.
The quiet kid who started talking. The loud kid who started listening. The skilled kid who started helping others. The struggling kid who finally succeeded.
None of these moments will appear in any record. They are invisible to anyone not paying attention. But they are the moments that make coaching worth doing.
When Gratitude Gets Hard
Some seasons are difficult. Losing streaks that will not end. Difficult parents who will not support. Player departures that feel personal. Club politics that drain energy.
Gratitude does not mean ignoring difficulty. It means finding what remains valuable even when things are hard.
What are you learning from the struggle? Who has supported you through it? What opportunities exist despite the problems? What will you value about this season when it is over?
I have coached through difficult seasons. The gratitude practice did not make them easy. But it made them bearable. And it made the transition to better seasons possible.
One Day It Will End
One day I will coach my last session. One day I will see my last player development breakthrough. One day the relationships will become memories.
Every session is finite. Every player relationship eventually ends. Every season concludes.
This awareness creates gratitude. Not in a sad way. In a way that makes each moment matter more.
The message from James’s mum arrived on Christmas morning. A reminder that what we do as coaches extends far beyond the pitch, far beyond the season, far beyond our awareness.
What To Do With Gratitude
After every session, I note one thing that went well, one player interaction that mattered, and one thing I am grateful for. Three minutes. Significant impact over time.
At season end, I record favourite moments, growth witnessed, relationships built, and lessons learned. Future me will thank present me.
Throughout the season, I regularly consider what each player brings, how they have grown, and what I will miss when they leave. Appreciation changes how I coach them.
And I tell people in my coaching community what they have contributed, how they have helped, why they matter. Expressed gratitude multiplies.
Christmas Day Reflection
Grassroots coaching is undervalued by the world. But those who do it know the real value.
James’s mum did not have to send that message. She could have enjoyed Christmas morning without thinking about her son’s coach. But she did. And that message will stay with me longer than any result.
Today, if you coach, be grateful for your coaching journey.
Tomorrow, continue building it.
The players, the parents, the fellow coaches, the game, the opportunity. All of it is a gift.
Merry Christmas, coaches.
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