Winning Is Everything?
That’s what many teams and clubs would have you believe. And while, as a coach and naturally competitive person who believes that winning certainly ranks right up there with some of the great things in life, I also feel there are a vast number of ways to more accurately measure success.
In truth, winning is not everything and, depending on how you define it, winning a particular game or a particular tournament will almost always mean very little in the grand scope of life.
Which is why, on our Warriors soccer team, we look for the small wins first. We work on soccer fundamentals; we build our team to be a cohesive group without infighting or cliques; we make it our objective to help the boys of this team play the best soccer they are capable of against every level of competition and develop them as well-rounded soccer players who will be able to translate their successes today into greater success both on and off the field well into the future. Also (and critically, I believe), we emphasize good sportsmanship from all of our players (even when, and perhaps most especially when, our opponents do not reciprocate!) and we expect and are so fortunate to have parents who are supportive and positive on the sidelines.
This philosophy pays dividends for those who like winning, too. Our Warriors had a taste of competitive victory this past Autumn in the Fall 2010 PCJSL Season: our boys went undefeated and won the U15/16 Silver Division. Afterward, our younger boys competed in the PCJSL U14 Silver Division and were Champions of that group, as well.
We have since moved up to Gold Division play where competitive wins are far more difficult to come by. Nevertheless, we continue to strive and improve, finishing a challenging Spring Season with a tournament Championship in April. During the course of the Spring, we were able to take our early-season losses, identify areas of improvement, and build toward greater success. And it’s with this philosophy that we are continuing to build our team… through patience and small victories.
If you are interested in joining our team, or if you have specific questions about our team, please email me, Robert Buckley, at: [email protected] or call (520) 907-8622.