I took the last two years off from officiating, but I had the chance to fill in last. Between that and watching the World Cup this last week, I started thinking about the obvious passion displayed and how to cultivate that in our schools.
Last night, I was an official for a Division 2 girls team. They were about 16 mostly and playing the last game of the season. In addition to practicing several nights a week, which shows great dedication, they arrived at least 45 minutes early (at least, I arrived 45 minutes early and both teams were already there and practicing). That alone demonstrates that this is something that they care about. Then, they played their hearts out. They literally ran until they fell and couldn’t go any further. As I think about our students, how often are we able to inspire them to exert that kind of effort.
It is not just the players’ passion that was inspiring though. The people on the sidelines (either a country’s rabid fans or the young players’ parents) get so involved in the game. You can feel the pulse of the crowd with every play and every call. They are invested in it. They feel like they have something on the line and they obviously care about the overcome. With most of the parents, they are there for nearly every game; they don’t just come once a season or semester for back to school night. So, why do the parents care so much about the game and why can’t we excite that same passion in most of our students’ parents about education, where the stakes are often so much higher?
Lastly, I saw two very different coaching styles last night. One was laidback and the other was very tightly wound and vocal (and almost got thrown out). They both demonstrated their passion in different ways, but it was clear to their players that they cared both about them and about the game. The obvious parallel here with the coaches is with us as educators. I know many educators who I feel are extremely passionate about their students, their content, and their position. I guess my main question is what are coaches doing that we can learn from?
