Why I coach a KingsWay School football team.

CS Lewis is not known for his sporting prowess and his experience at school bears no resemblance to how our children are taught at KingsWay. However, the title of his book, 'Surprised by Joy', caught my imagination as a way to describe a large aspect of why I enjoy being a coach at KingsWay.

For me, being a coach has been a learning experience of a different kind. Over the years, I have learnt heaps about netball and football and I have had great support from both the school and my players' parents. Sometimes we'll turn up to a school and it looks like they have better sports resources than us. I have found that KingsWay School has always had the best resource of all - our players.

Yes, I am biased. I am not a good side-line parent (a bit too shouty) and you should pity my daughters. That being said, I think the responsibilities and expectations of being a coach have helped make me better. When we score a GOAL my insides are cheering like a South American commentator, while outside it's polite clapping and "jolly-good-show!"

Being modified as a coach is a good thing. It's exactly what we ask our players to do. They have to dress up, sometimes armour-up and bring their game face. No matter how they are feeling, we need them to front up for themselves and their team-mates.

When it's game on, this is when the refining comes. The fire can bring the moments of joy.

I have not often seen a KingsWay team with their heads down. KingsWay students play for someone greater. This is part of the wonder moments for me. The reason I coach. It's unlikely that KingsWay will have full teams that play at a National level, but KingsWay does produce players who play at, or go on to play at international levels. Whether it’s a player-of-day game, the winning goal, or simply a moment of brilliant team work, I love the moments that players remember. The moments that make them want to come back next year. That's my role as coach. Helping the players want to come back next week, next season.

My suggestion to you is, get involved it will refine you. Not every player has their best game, every game. As coach, you encourage your players to TRY to bring their best to every game. Like CS Lewis's book, you will be, 'surprised by their joy'.

Chris Mitchell
Coach for the 1 XI Girls Football Team
(Chris has previously coached Netball at KingsWay School)