This One's for My Girl's

My title made me think of this song...    (Which, by the way, it absolutely true of each of you.) 

     

To: Seiwa, Mui Mui, Songy, Lou, Susie Q, Hannah Woo, Banana, Annais, Anna, Angela, and Sharon

 When we learned that this year our team would be in Division 1 (or 5 Cities - whatever you want to call it) I knew that we were in for a shock. I knew that in order for us to be competitive in this league there would need to be such a vast improvement over teams (Not individuals - if any of my former athletes are reading this...) of the past. I knew that our skills would need to improve, that our minds would have to think differently and that we would have to overcome a host of obstacles to even stand a chance. Not that I didn't believe in you girls, but that I was expecting something far beyond what I knew you knew. (If that makes ANY sense... I'm rambling here.) I was scared for you, worried for you, curious as to how you would fare, worried if I was good enough of a coach for you. I knew that this change would affect my girls the most and I worried that the challenge would be too much.

While we never did get that victory we were looking for, I saw some smaller, yet more profound victories on the way. Now, to the eyes of the world, our success was nil, but you know what. the world can kiss our rears. You fought hard, you made major improvements, you loved each other, you worked well together, you over came some obstacles and you came out smiling. The most important things in life are not winning games. Oh, that's a nice blessing and I really wanted you to get some W's, but clearly this was not our blessing for this season. What's more important are the life lessons that you take away from your season. 

Here are a few with some spiritual applications as well: 

1. When the pressure is on and things are not going the way you want them to, you can't just quit. You can't just give up. Maybe you need a time out, a moment to get refocused. Psalm 46:10He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” 
2. People make mistakes and sometimes they frustrate us, but we can't allow what they do to bring us down. We need to take a look at ourselves and see what we need to fix before we start blaming others.  (Matthew 7:2-4² For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.³ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴ How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?)

3. Winning is nice, but we are not always guaranteed a win - even if we pray that we will receive it. Gods plan - even for the game of volleyball - may be to prepare us for something greater in the future. (The Israelites spent 40 years wandering in the desert until they had learned their lesson (and God had prepared them for the land that He had promised them.) Read the book of Exodus!

Anyway ladies,  you fought hard, you worked hard, you made me laugh, you made me cry (surprise, surprise), you made me smile, you made me SMH in confusion, but most of all you made me proud. Even without wins, I'm still proud to be your coach. I love each of you and I'm blessed to get to coach you and teach you. You are very special girls and I am thankful for you. Thank you for a good season.