Eight months…I have no idea how we arrived here. It has truly flown by! Men’s and women’s soccer came to a close over the weekend, football finishes up it’s season in a couple of weeks. Our volleyball team has made history this fall and will continue their season by competing in the conference tournament this week and hopefully beyond that also! Cross Country has a couple more fall meets and we are gearing up for the start of basketball season. Things have been particularly busy, as they always are, when seasons begin to overlap.
I’ve learned a lot over the past 8 months, but even more so over the past month. For some reason, it has been particularly challenging. It has felt like everything is on fire all at the same time, there are just little fires everywhere you look. So many of them are out of my control, but still effecting the entire department and it’s tough to deal with that. It’s difficult to motivate people in the midst of chaos. It’s so easy to get distracted by the flames and shift your focus to the things that are temporary.
A leader, who is always putting out fires, isn’t a very effective leader. That is how this month has felt, and honestly I’ve been completely drained by it. I do not feel as though I have properly led, guided, or planned for the future this past month. You see, when we are only focused on little issues all day long, we don’t move the dial. There is no progress in chaos control. It is reactionary and unproductive. As leaders, we have to be proactive and in constant evaluation on what builds the new, not what manages the consequences of choices you didn’t make.
Sweet friends, I want to be a dial mover. I want to be an orchestrator of change. I want to help people progress. I want to see these programs, coaches and student athletes grow to their full potential. I’m learning that it takes time. I’m learning to embrace the days that are so filled with chaos that all we can manage is fire control. I’m learning to value the process of growth. But mostly, I’m learning grace. We are all doing the best we can. One foot in front of the other, one moment at a time, one decision at a time. Much love and sweet growth my friends.
