Guest Post: Momus of The Next Delusion, on Inner Demons in Youth Sports

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My favorite Garrison Keillor quote goes like this:

“I believe in looking reality straight in the eye and denying it.”

That’s what today’s guest post writer does on his blog, The Next Delusion. One half of them, anyway. Momus is one half of the dynamic duo who writes the blog with the tagline “seeing reality and looking the other way.”

Momus teams with wife Cassandra as dreamers, parents and data analysts trying to face middle age with a little creativity and humor. They’re regular commenters and six-words post contributors.

A Coach’s Lesson, in 6 Words

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You can learn a lot from a coach.

Not all of it’s good. I remember a frustrated soccer coach who slammed his notebook to the turf after our team scored, then barked out the F word. Hayden, then playing U8 soccer, turned to me, mouth open slightly, and blinked several times.

I swear a light bulb illuminated above her head.

Thanks, coach.
Many other lessons are far less R-rated. Well, some.

Losing on Purpose: My Defining Moment in Sports

Just outside the Fredericksburg Cemetery.

What was your defining moment in sports?

Some scored the winning touchdown. Or orchestrated a come-from-behind win in a basketball tournament. Clobbered our first home run. Maybe nailing that triple axle – finally. For me?

It was the day I gave up.

 

It wasn’t just a loss. It wasn’t a race I was beaten in. No one tracked me down, I wasn’t hurt, and it was completely in my hands. I just chose to toss it away. I quit. I still don’t know why.

An Open Letter To Grace’s New Coach

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Dear Grace’s new coach,

Hello. Receipt of this letter means you’ve made the intelligent choice of drafting Grace to play on your 7-8 soccer team this season. Congratulations. And warning. I’m watching you. No, I’m not that parent. I’m your friend.

Potentially.

Grace has had the benefit of a top-notch, incredible soccer experience. Yes, all three years of it. She learned technical skills and tactical knowledge and, more important, was allowed to flourish and develop her own sense of the game and all its nuances.

Froggies? Fireworks? The Day of a Soccer Coach

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My girls have each won soccer championships. They’ve each lost championships, too. Wins and losses? Believe it or not, they’re secondary in the journey.

Why coach? It won’t make me rich. Fame and acclaim? None. My club and recreation soccer positions aren’t my gateways to a gig leading U.S. Soccer into its next era.

It’s for moments. Moments that feel small at the time, but loom larger as time goes on.

Opportunities. Chances when character is revealed.