Coach's Thoughts

  Working at Summit Middle School has been one of the most enjoyable jobs of my education career.I get to work with so many amazing kids, who are always willing to share their perspectives and opinions. Middle schoolers are refreshingly honest. "Your hair smells like chlorine today." "Your glasses are really big." "Don't you usually have a husband when you turn 26?"

I love to use this forwardness to gain insight. My favorite time to do this is while we wait for the Activity Bus after school. "Who likes to play sports?" I ask while kids kick a rock back and forth to each other. I sit down on the grass and three girls join me. Seventh and eighth-grade girls, who all play on sports teams, but are here after school today to work on assignments that are incomplete.

They sit down and start talking about how they miss basketball season- how their coaches were fun andthey loved seeing their friends after school. "Why?" I ask. "I think my friends make me try harder." "My friends who are better than I am can help me play." "My coaches are funny and I like seeing them."

"Have you ever told them that? Have you told your friends they're helpful? Or your coaches that they're fun?"

"Oh my gosh.. no!" says one of the seventh graders. One of the eighth graders laughs and shakes her head.  "She would think I'm weird."

After a little encouragement, some jokes about how I think she is wonderfully forward for explaining my hair smells like chlorine today and sharing a little piece of scrapbook paper from my bag, I encourage her to write her friend or coach a little note on the bus. Spending time with coaches and friends is immeasurably valuable to young girls, and having role models for healthy communication and spreading kindness is important to anyone. As The Cycle Effect season continues, I am so excited to harness the humor and care of our team and find ways for the people in our lives to know how much we value their presence. Who can you share some love with today?