Coaching is About the Joy

     I always wondered what it was that kept my old basketball coaches returning year after year to work with us on the court.
     Was it the money?
     No. Some of my high school coaches earned some extra bucks, no doubt, but I can't imagine the hourly rate was worth it.
     Was it the prestige?
     Hardly. Most of my teams -- with the exception of my old CYO teams at Corpus Christi Catholic Church -- stunk.
     Was it because dads wanted to coach their sons' teams, to spend time with Junior or even to make sure Junior makes the starting team?
     This is plausible. I've done this as a coach (at least the first part), and spending time with your son or daughter is definitely a good reason to coach, at least in my opinion. I want my kids to remember that I was involved in their lives, and I want to share a piece of me with them as they grow up.
     But I have discovered a new reason to coach, in recent months. I have identified why I think (and hope) many adults coach youth athletics.
     It brings me joy.
     It brought me joy this year to teach basketball fundamentals, and little life lessons along the way, to a bunch of junior high and elementary school kids (I coached my son MT's fourth-grade team and my son Ben's sixth-grade team). It brings me great joy on gamedays to see the kids compete, and occasionally (rarely in our case) eek out a win. It brings me joy to see them finally "get it," whether it is seeing them use a bounce pass instead of a chest pass, or seeing them slide their feed on defense instead of reaching in for a foul.
     And this year, my joy has gone to a whole new level. I coach my daughter's first- and second-grade volleyball team.
     Now, I only know the basics of volleyball -- what I learned in high school gym class and what I learned at the mandatory 2-hour coaches clinic this year.
     But what joy it brings me to work with these little girls, and see them finally hit the ball over the net on a serve or see one of them return a serve.
     I am in coaching because I want my daughter to know that she is athletic, that girls sports are just as important as her brothers' sports, to spend time with her, etc... But at the core, I coach because it brings me joy.
     I know I am not alone.