Something Personal: Coaching Changes aren't Good for Everyone

          Have you ever felt like you were the man one minute and then like a nobody the next. This happened to me my junior and senior year in high school football.

          My junior year we had a coach who I respected more than any previous coach in any sport. I was not starting on offense or defense when camp began, but because I worked hard on and off the field he gave me the starting job at cornerback. With the luck I have though I broke my collarbone in practice about a week later. On the way to the hospital my coach called my mom and told her that I was not going to lose the starting job I earned. He told her that it wouldn't be right to take it away from me after I had worked so hard. He kept to his word and I still had my starting job when I was healthy. He never for a second let me think that I could keep the job if I played poorly or didn't work hard. I took what he said and started on offense, defense and special teams. I ended up with five interceptions on defense and contributed as much as I was asked on offense for the season.

My Actual X-Ray 

          Going into my senior year the coach that I respected so much resigned because of issues with his boss (our principal). We got a new coach for my last year of football, which didn't make me too happy. I put my feelings aside and got ready for the next season. 

          During spring practice I came in thinking that there was no way that I could lose my starting job. This was my own fault I will admit and I should not have felt this way. I ended up losing my starting job on offense and defense because I guess I didn't play well enough in practice.

 When the first scrimmage came around I didn't play as much as I was used to or as much as I would have liked to. After that I worked my ass off at practice throughout the season. I never missed a practice even when I had a stomach virus and I learned multiple positions on both offense and defense. With all that being said I never was able to get a starting job and I didn't get the playing time that others or I thought I deserved. 

          This is something that still to this day makes me mad thinking about it. I basically have no good or fun memories from that season that I can talk about with friends and it's so frustrating. I know that the people reading this may not care about this story because it may or may not have happened to them, but this is something that I needed to get off my chest to the public for a long time. 

          This event has changed my life and made me realize that I should never take anything for granted. I now know if you lose something that no matter how hard you work to earn it back, there could be certain variables that can keep you from regaining what you once had.