Wednesday, November 16, 2011
LMH Boys Soccer in State Finals
Monday, November 14, 2011
Coaching with MSO
Last spring, I had the opportunity to coach with Mennonite Sports Organization (MSO) at LMH. Mom signed Charity up to play, and I volunteered to coach her team, with Mom as my assistant. It was a lot of fun! We had 2 practices, and then 6 weeks of games. It was quite an experience. Five and six year olds are not my specialty or preferred age group, but it was fun to see the girls learning and running and having fun with their friends.
This fall, I got a call from the organizers, asking if I would coach all 16 boys that were signed up. Instead of only having one team of 6 kids (played 3v3), I would have the whole group for an hour. We would learn a new skill, do a drill or two, play a game or two, and finish up with scrimmaging each other. I asked Brad to help me, since he loves this age group, and we came out for the first day.
Oh man! Was I in for a surprise! Five and six year old boys are wound up with energy and competitiveness that surpassed the girls last spring. It was quite a task to get them to listen and then perform the skills. Needless to say, I learned a lot from the first day. Brad and I decided to switch things up a little bit. The rest of the season went very well! It was so amazing and special to see each of the boys develop over the course of the 8 weeks. Some had played before. Some had not. One little boy didn't like soccer at all. And a few of the boys couldn't keep their hands to themselves. Some liked being on the ground a lot more than on their feet (slide tackling). And one little boy was so terribly shy on the first day.
This little boy, Seth, was only 4 years old, but told his parents he wanted to play. He was so shy the first day, that he hid behind his dad the entire session. The next week, he stayed with his dad again, but this time, his dad had a soccer ball and was trying to kick the ball back and forth with Seth. Sometimes Seth would participate, sometimes not. Still, a little bit of progress. I think only 1 or 2 weeks later, Seth jumped in with the group and stood around and watched curiously as the other boys went about the drills and games. Before Brad and I knew it, Seth was running around, having fun and even talking a little bit with the other boys.
One of the special things I got to witness was Brad's gentle spirit and prodding of Seth. Brad would be Seth's buddy when we needed partners and would help him out during our scrimmages. Seth took an instant liking to Brad, and soon was talking and pulling out his competitive personality. In only 8 weeks, we saw quiet, shy, uncertain little Seth turn into a confident, energetic, enthusiastic and happy little boy, not afraid to jump into the group!
What a blessing it was to be able to coach these 16 little boys...
1) Getting the boys together to teach them the next drill or game.
2) Doing our cheer at the end of each session: "1... 2... 3... Goooooo Blazers!!!!" very loudly!
3) Eleven of our 16 boys. What precious little gifts from God!
Back Row L-R: Matthew, Heaton, Brennan, Will, Sam, Stone
Front Row L-R: Brett, Adonyias, Silas, Timothy, Seth
This fall, I got a call from the organizers, asking if I would coach all 16 boys that were signed up. Instead of only having one team of 6 kids (played 3v3), I would have the whole group for an hour. We would learn a new skill, do a drill or two, play a game or two, and finish up with scrimmaging each other. I asked Brad to help me, since he loves this age group, and we came out for the first day.
Oh man! Was I in for a surprise! Five and six year old boys are wound up with energy and competitiveness that surpassed the girls last spring. It was quite a task to get them to listen and then perform the skills. Needless to say, I learned a lot from the first day. Brad and I decided to switch things up a little bit. The rest of the season went very well! It was so amazing and special to see each of the boys develop over the course of the 8 weeks. Some had played before. Some had not. One little boy didn't like soccer at all. And a few of the boys couldn't keep their hands to themselves. Some liked being on the ground a lot more than on their feet (slide tackling). And one little boy was so terribly shy on the first day.
This little boy, Seth, was only 4 years old, but told his parents he wanted to play. He was so shy the first day, that he hid behind his dad the entire session. The next week, he stayed with his dad again, but this time, his dad had a soccer ball and was trying to kick the ball back and forth with Seth. Sometimes Seth would participate, sometimes not. Still, a little bit of progress. I think only 1 or 2 weeks later, Seth jumped in with the group and stood around and watched curiously as the other boys went about the drills and games. Before Brad and I knew it, Seth was running around, having fun and even talking a little bit with the other boys.
One of the special things I got to witness was Brad's gentle spirit and prodding of Seth. Brad would be Seth's buddy when we needed partners and would help him out during our scrimmages. Seth took an instant liking to Brad, and soon was talking and pulling out his competitive personality. In only 8 weeks, we saw quiet, shy, uncertain little Seth turn into a confident, energetic, enthusiastic and happy little boy, not afraid to jump into the group!
What a blessing it was to be able to coach these 16 little boys...
1) Getting the boys together to teach them the next drill or game.
2) Doing our cheer at the end of each session: "1... 2... 3... Goooooo Blazers!!!!" very loudly!
3) Eleven of our 16 boys. What precious little gifts from God!
Front Row L-R: Brett, Adonyias, Silas, Timothy, Seth
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Corn Maze
Brad and I went to a corn maze on Saturday night. Wow! I forgot how much fun it is! We went to the Amazing Maize Maze at Cherry Crest Farms on 741 (www.cherrycrestfarm.com) and did the flashlight maze. It was Brad's first time and my first time without being with a youth group.
It was a BLAST! We were walking around at first, just meandering along until we found the first mailbox. Then, the fun began. Brad was amazingly good with a sense of direction and being able to read the map pieces we gathered. Me, on the other hand, was confused and couldn't figure it out for the life of me. But for probably the first time in my life, I was okay with that.
Being a natural leader and dominant person, I usually lead the group when I was in high school. Then, when I was a group leader, I was looked to to get us to the right place at the right time and as quickly as possible (had to beat the boys, duh!!). And when you have a group of people, you have many many many different opinions of which way to go. It can be super overwhelming.
Brad was having fun, and naturally leading the way. And for probably the first time since I can even remember, I was actually having fun! I was able to simply enjoy the experience. To not "have" to care where we were or where we were going or where we had already been.
The sheer freedom and realization that I could let go and let Brad lead without any worries in the world was exhilirating. Brad had a great time, with it being a new thing for him. But I think I may have had an even better time.
I think the next step for me now, is to continue learning to let go. And with my New Year's Resolution (I know, it's been forever), the goal should be to "let go and let God." I am terrified to let go. I am so used to being in control. Of making decisions. Of having to "eenie meenie minee mo"-ing it out. Of being the one who has to choose. Of showing confidence when I'm cowering or wavering inside. Of being the strong one. I know I need to let God be that in my life. Maybe Brad is teaching me how to do that.
Let go and let God.
~joyful
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
In With the New (2011)
Happy New Year!!! Never before have I anticipated and wanted more, the arrival of a fresh start. So, welcome 2011!
It's time for me to get serious about some changes that I've been meaning to do in my personal life. Now is the time...
I've been on a long and arduous journey of lowering my level of self-centeredness and increasing my level of others- and God-centeredness. At Calvary Church this past Sunday, Pastor Beau Eckert (with the help of God's word) put my "new year's resolution" in very simple and concise terms for me:
"He must become greater; I must become less." ~John 3:30
Songs that keep my perspective on the above:
"The Motions" ~Matthew West
"No Matter What" ~Kerrie Roberts
"Our God" ~Chris Tomlin
"I Will Follow" ~Chris Tomlin
"Love Like Crazy" ~Lee Brice
It's time for me to get serious about some changes that I've been meaning to do in my personal life. Now is the time...
I've been on a long and arduous journey of lowering my level of self-centeredness and increasing my level of others- and God-centeredness. At Calvary Church this past Sunday, Pastor Beau Eckert (with the help of God's word) put my "new year's resolution" in very simple and concise terms for me:
"He must become greater; I must become less." ~John 3:30
Songs that keep my perspective on the above:
"The Motions" ~Matthew West
"No Matter What" ~Kerrie Roberts
"Our God" ~Chris Tomlin
"I Will Follow" ~Chris Tomlin
"Love Like Crazy" ~Lee Brice
Out with the Old (2010) Part 2
January 1st always overwhelms me when I finally take the time to sit down and reflect on all that has happened during the past year. And I think that's where the problem starts... I don't take the time to reflect enough, throughout the year. Funny how, the thing that the EMU Education department drilled into me for four years, time and again, was to reflect...
Dictionary.com defines reflect as: to think, ponder or meditate.
January/February/March (Harrisonburg, VA)
The beginning of 2010 began as bleak as 2009 ended--in financial hardship, unemployment and many hours reading the Bible, praying and crying out to God for help, guidance and direction. The bright light in being unemployed, was in being able to help out with behind-the-scenes work with SVU, which included being around Nora and her family. I came to an intense appreciation of how much hard work goes into running a soccer club, and how much sacrifice it takes for both work, family and self. Nora was an unending wealth of information... both as a coach, mentor and a thoughtful friend. The four boys were always a pleasure to be around :)
April (Lancaster, PA)
Finally, I was able to land a job... back in my hometown of Pennsylvania. It was nice to move back "home" to the place where I grew up and was away from for far longer than I was yet to realize. I moved in with my two remaining single brothers (Jay & Mark), which has been wonderful... most of the time ;) Coach Doug got me a job with his company, Lancaster Fine Foods (LFF), for which I am eternally grateful.
I quickly learned to know the core workers at LFF, and many of them have become good friends. When asked how I like my new job, I'm always quick to respond that while the work is not always pleasant, the people who work there, make it worthwhile. They are fun, loving, caring and God-seeking people who make the time keep ticking away.
Another highlight was being able to coach Heather and Kristen and the LMH girls soccer team. Got to know many amazingly gifted and caring girls that love God just as much as they love playing for each other on the soccer field! The coaching staff was excellent learning material as well... and a lot of fun to get to know better!
May/June/July
For the third year, I again played with the Lancaster Inferno. I volunteered to help Coach Doug out on the administrative and organizational side of things, which--while at times was stressful and hectic--lent itself to the season running more smoothly and efficiently as possible. I met a bunch of new girls as well, and we had another stellar season! We went 6-1-3 in the regular season (division champs), winning our first-round playoff game before losing to a talented Long Island team in the East Semifinals. Personally, I got some one-on-one GK training, which boosted my spirits and self-confidence, and had a good season overall.
The summer was especially fun as I got to reconnect with my cousins and some long-lost friends. Much of my time was spent running, playing around with the soccer ball, playing soccer somewhere, hanging out at parks, and spending time with family!
Mike & Lauren were married in July with an absolutely gorgeous wedding and celebration! Their wedding couldn't have been any more befitting of the two of them, and it was so much fun welcoming in another sister-in-law!!!! :)
August
Mostly due to the economy (depleted budgets for education), there were little to no job openings in the Health & PE department in either VA or PA in the areas I was primarily looking to teach in. With that being said, I decided to officially transfer my teaching license from VA to PA, but quickly realized I needed to take another standardized test (at Millersville) and pay a ridiculous fee. So that was put on hold as I struggled to make ends meet, while saving up to do so...
For EMU's first week of preseason, I went down to VA to train their GK's. It was fun getting to know 3 more GK's as well as continuing to develop Abby in her 4th year. Crazy how time flies! Got to play some in goal; got chills watching "my" GK's beast it up in drills; and even got some conditioning in by playing on the field. And for the record, I probably witnessed one of Abby's top saves when I returned a few weeks later to catch a game! I'll never forget it!! It was sick. All I've gotta say is, Abby, you've come full circle, and I'm proud to have had the chance to train you the past 4 years. You're an all-star in my book!!!
September/October
Cousin Laura and her boyfriend, Justin, put together a co-ed team at Lanco. It was a very random bunch of people put together, but by far, the most fun I've ever had in indoor! Our team got along so well; gelled so well; and generally enjoyed cheering each other on during the game. We played some good teams and my uncle ran a great streak of scoring in every single game he played in for the session!!! I assisted on one of his goals, late in a game to help keep that streak alive, and have to admit... it was one of THE best feelings in the world! :) A very close second, was when I scored a header-goal off of a Katie Lamm corner kick... sick nasty!!!
October brought many first and very high highs! First off, Soccer Pops Phil bought tickets for me and Katie to watch the Men's National Team (MNT) v Colombia and the Women's National Team (WNT) v China in the Philly Union's new stadium in Chester, PA. Amidst that, a certain boy (Brad) from our Lanco team, invited me to my very first Union game against LA Galaxy!
For that first Union game, it was the first time I had even talked to Brad, other than at our games... and those times consisted of hi, good work out there, good hustle, and bye. When I met them at Target, it was me, Brad, his brother and his dad. We literally talked the whole way to the game! Well, to be honest, "I" talked most of the time :) But we had a BLAST!
Then, not even a week later, Brad texted me again and asked if I wanted to go to the Union's last home game of the season... uhhh, YES!!! Now, mind you... when all 4 of these games came about and I was asked to go (MNT, WNT and Union), I simply and quickly said yes, pertaining to the fact that they were high level soccer games. I'm a soccer fan, so it was a no-brainer. Looking back, the Union games--while not official dates--were probably pretty close to it ;) The second Union game involved, me, Brad and his parents. Another absolutely fun time!
Pretty much after that, it's history... Brad and I texted back and forth a bit (ahem!), and on October 25th, we officially began dating!
November/December
It's been an incredible 2 months with Brad! Simply put, he's been a true God-send. And I very much enjoy getting to know him better each day!
I've had a chance to hang out with him and his family quite a lot, so the holidays were more fun than nerve-racking :) Good food. Good company. Quality family and good times!
It was fun having my family meet him as well! While a bit overwhelming for him (my mom's side is HUGE), he did super well and we enjoyed our holidays together!
Reflection
As I look back on the past year, it's definitely had really low lows and very high highs. But one thing that has been constant throughout, is the love of God. God was with me when I was digging in the dirt beneath rock bottom. And was and is with me now that things are beginning to look up. Never before have I felt the true humbleness of charity from loving friends and family. Never before have I felt God's love surrounding me in my times of sorrow, dread and seemingly hopelessness. Never before have I truly felt so at-home and yet so out-of-place, and vice versa. Never before have a I truly felt the need to rely on God and His word to get me through the dark times. But yet, never before have I felt such joy and victory in trusting in His timing and provisions.
A few songs that carried me through this year:
"While I'm Waiting" ~John Waller
"What Faith Can Do" ~Kutless
"Come to the Cross" Michael W Smith
"Blessed" ~Martina McBride
"Dare You to Move" ~Switchfoot
"Revelation Song" ~Phillips Craig & Dean
"What If His People Prayed" ~Casting Crowns
"Your Grace is Enough" ~Chris Tomlin
"Born Again" ~Third Day
"Praise You in the Storm" ~Casting Crowns
"You Never Let Go" ~Matt Redman
So long, 2010. It's been real. It's been fun. But it ain't been real fun...
Dictionary.com defines reflect as: to think, ponder or meditate.
January/February/March (Harrisonburg, VA)
The beginning of 2010 began as bleak as 2009 ended--in financial hardship, unemployment and many hours reading the Bible, praying and crying out to God for help, guidance and direction. The bright light in being unemployed, was in being able to help out with behind-the-scenes work with SVU, which included being around Nora and her family. I came to an intense appreciation of how much hard work goes into running a soccer club, and how much sacrifice it takes for both work, family and self. Nora was an unending wealth of information... both as a coach, mentor and a thoughtful friend. The four boys were always a pleasure to be around :)
April (Lancaster, PA)
Finally, I was able to land a job... back in my hometown of Pennsylvania. It was nice to move back "home" to the place where I grew up and was away from for far longer than I was yet to realize. I moved in with my two remaining single brothers (Jay & Mark), which has been wonderful... most of the time ;) Coach Doug got me a job with his company, Lancaster Fine Foods (LFF), for which I am eternally grateful.
I quickly learned to know the core workers at LFF, and many of them have become good friends. When asked how I like my new job, I'm always quick to respond that while the work is not always pleasant, the people who work there, make it worthwhile. They are fun, loving, caring and God-seeking people who make the time keep ticking away.
Another highlight was being able to coach Heather and Kristen and the LMH girls soccer team. Got to know many amazingly gifted and caring girls that love God just as much as they love playing for each other on the soccer field! The coaching staff was excellent learning material as well... and a lot of fun to get to know better!
May/June/July
For the third year, I again played with the Lancaster Inferno. I volunteered to help Coach Doug out on the administrative and organizational side of things, which--while at times was stressful and hectic--lent itself to the season running more smoothly and efficiently as possible. I met a bunch of new girls as well, and we had another stellar season! We went 6-1-3 in the regular season (division champs), winning our first-round playoff game before losing to a talented Long Island team in the East Semifinals. Personally, I got some one-on-one GK training, which boosted my spirits and self-confidence, and had a good season overall.
The summer was especially fun as I got to reconnect with my cousins and some long-lost friends. Much of my time was spent running, playing around with the soccer ball, playing soccer somewhere, hanging out at parks, and spending time with family!
Mike & Lauren were married in July with an absolutely gorgeous wedding and celebration! Their wedding couldn't have been any more befitting of the two of them, and it was so much fun welcoming in another sister-in-law!!!! :)
August
Mostly due to the economy (depleted budgets for education), there were little to no job openings in the Health & PE department in either VA or PA in the areas I was primarily looking to teach in. With that being said, I decided to officially transfer my teaching license from VA to PA, but quickly realized I needed to take another standardized test (at Millersville) and pay a ridiculous fee. So that was put on hold as I struggled to make ends meet, while saving up to do so...
For EMU's first week of preseason, I went down to VA to train their GK's. It was fun getting to know 3 more GK's as well as continuing to develop Abby in her 4th year. Crazy how time flies! Got to play some in goal; got chills watching "my" GK's beast it up in drills; and even got some conditioning in by playing on the field. And for the record, I probably witnessed one of Abby's top saves when I returned a few weeks later to catch a game! I'll never forget it!! It was sick. All I've gotta say is, Abby, you've come full circle, and I'm proud to have had the chance to train you the past 4 years. You're an all-star in my book!!!
September/October
Cousin Laura and her boyfriend, Justin, put together a co-ed team at Lanco. It was a very random bunch of people put together, but by far, the most fun I've ever had in indoor! Our team got along so well; gelled so well; and generally enjoyed cheering each other on during the game. We played some good teams and my uncle ran a great streak of scoring in every single game he played in for the session!!! I assisted on one of his goals, late in a game to help keep that streak alive, and have to admit... it was one of THE best feelings in the world! :) A very close second, was when I scored a header-goal off of a Katie Lamm corner kick... sick nasty!!!
October brought many first and very high highs! First off, Soccer Pops Phil bought tickets for me and Katie to watch the Men's National Team (MNT) v Colombia and the Women's National Team (WNT) v China in the Philly Union's new stadium in Chester, PA. Amidst that, a certain boy (Brad) from our Lanco team, invited me to my very first Union game against LA Galaxy!
For that first Union game, it was the first time I had even talked to Brad, other than at our games... and those times consisted of hi, good work out there, good hustle, and bye. When I met them at Target, it was me, Brad, his brother and his dad. We literally talked the whole way to the game! Well, to be honest, "I" talked most of the time :) But we had a BLAST!
Then, not even a week later, Brad texted me again and asked if I wanted to go to the Union's last home game of the season... uhhh, YES!!! Now, mind you... when all 4 of these games came about and I was asked to go (MNT, WNT and Union), I simply and quickly said yes, pertaining to the fact that they were high level soccer games. I'm a soccer fan, so it was a no-brainer. Looking back, the Union games--while not official dates--were probably pretty close to it ;) The second Union game involved, me, Brad and his parents. Another absolutely fun time!
Pretty much after that, it's history... Brad and I texted back and forth a bit (ahem!), and on October 25th, we officially began dating!
November/December
It's been an incredible 2 months with Brad! Simply put, he's been a true God-send. And I very much enjoy getting to know him better each day!
I've had a chance to hang out with him and his family quite a lot, so the holidays were more fun than nerve-racking :) Good food. Good company. Quality family and good times!
It was fun having my family meet him as well! While a bit overwhelming for him (my mom's side is HUGE), he did super well and we enjoyed our holidays together!
Reflection
As I look back on the past year, it's definitely had really low lows and very high highs. But one thing that has been constant throughout, is the love of God. God was with me when I was digging in the dirt beneath rock bottom. And was and is with me now that things are beginning to look up. Never before have I felt the true humbleness of charity from loving friends and family. Never before have I felt God's love surrounding me in my times of sorrow, dread and seemingly hopelessness. Never before have I truly felt so at-home and yet so out-of-place, and vice versa. Never before have a I truly felt the need to rely on God and His word to get me through the dark times. But yet, never before have I felt such joy and victory in trusting in His timing and provisions.
A few songs that carried me through this year:
"While I'm Waiting" ~John Waller
"What Faith Can Do" ~Kutless
"Come to the Cross" Michael W Smith
"Blessed" ~Martina McBride
"Dare You to Move" ~Switchfoot
"Revelation Song" ~Phillips Craig & Dean
"What If His People Prayed" ~Casting Crowns
"Your Grace is Enough" ~Chris Tomlin
"Born Again" ~Third Day
"Praise You in the Storm" ~Casting Crowns
"You Never Let Go" ~Matt Redman
So long, 2010. It's been real. It's been fun. But it ain't been real fun...
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