Chiddix Debut

I've been pondering my ever-so-brief coaching career lately.

The YMCA didn't need me last year after they changed the format to require entire teams to sign up, rather than enabling individual sign-ups which in turn resulted in no players needing walk-on coaches.

What about school programs? Their programs are likely to be more stable. I would guess that they regularly have turnover in their volunteer staff. Maybe even at the head coaching level. Why not come aboard as a stat-keeper or something, learn the system, and see what happens if I do a good job? The American dream and all that.

First things first though... to prevent jumping in before understanding the lay of the land, I decided to attend a couple of games at the closest school with a team Chiddix Junior High School. What are the fans like? How good is the program? Does the school come across as well-organized? Respectful?

The answer started to find my ears before I even reached the gym door. What a supportive ruckus! I'd grown up in private schools, where maybe a few dozen parents and siblings showed up, and almost never a classmate (probably in good measure because we didn't have our own gym). The stands were packed and buzzing. There were cheerleaders frolicking. The coaches were dressed in ties. And the team was winning big!

As it turned out, this was just the undercard game. When the eighth graders took the court for game two, they were serenaded with the school song and an announcer blaring their names. The crowd noise reached new levels. The head coach and his assistants chatted up the players with enthusiasm rather than anger (as opposed to the other team's coach, who either yells too much or whose face is just naturally purple). No one on either team berated the refs, nor did I hear it from the stands.

The coach's genes in me were tingling tonight. I'll definitely be back!