The Holiday Season is a perfect time to reflect and appreciate others. Growing up, my mother instilled the importance of always saying “thank you,” whether for a gift, knowledge, favor, or compliment. Later, studying psychology deepened my understanding of the powerful impact of gratitude. While I jokingly hesitate to admit my mom was right, I firmly believe in the importance of expressing thanks in all aspects of life.
Reflecting on my soccer journey as a player and coach, I’ve realized that “thank you” moments are the true rewards of my career. Here are a few that stand out, which may resonate with your own experiences:
- To the youth coach who told me that I was a better player than I believed myself to be and further told me if I simply believed in myself, I would become even better…thank you. ⚽
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- Thank you to the upperclassmen who welcomed me to my high school team and made me forget my age. 🙏
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- Thank you to the coaches who have served as mentors and allowed me to learn from their experiences and perspectives. 📚
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- To my college coach who told me to educate myself as a coach and attain my licensure if I truly wanted to pursue a coaching career…thank you. 🎓
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- Thank you to my teammates over the years that have made me feel as if I were part of a family on the field…thank you. 🤝
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- To five-year-old Johnny, who makes me thankful that I get to coach young players and brings a smile to my face every time I recount our “soccer time”…thank you. 😊
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- To the athletic trainers, doctors, and physical therapists who enabled me to play as long as I did and taught me how to take better care of myself so I could keep playing…thank you. 🏥
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- To the players who entrusted me enough to believe in my suggestions and help us all improve as a team…thank you. ⚽
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- To the parents who have spent countless hours on the road to bring players to practices of teams that I have coached or programs I have run…thank you. 🚗
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- To the coaches and teams that have beaten teams I have been a part of and forced us to improve…thank you. 🏆
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- To those coaches who took the extra time to teach me elements of the game that I did not know and showed interest in me as a player…thank you. 👥
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- To 11-year-old Joe, who grounded my thinking when he wrote a paper in school about an adult that he looked up to (me) and whose greatest quality was that the adult was only concerned with helping him (Joe) reach his goals…thank you for the life lesson. ✍️
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- To the endless list of family and friends who have tolerated my devotion to the game and the absurd time and lengths I have gone to show this devotion…thank you for your tolerance and understanding. 💖
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- For the teammates who kept me laughing on trips and have remained family off the field for so many years…thank you. 😂
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- To those players who have said thank you and told me what they were thankful for…thank you for making me a better coach. 👏
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- To all the volunteers and people behind the scenes who have run tournaments, organized leagues, managed teams, lined fields, you name it…thank you. 🙌
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- To the game itself, which has allowed me to follow my life’s goal of improving children’s lives, thank you. ⚽
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- To my teammates’ parents over the years who looked after me on trips when I was traveling alone…thank you. ✈️
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- To my mom, who through my soccer career has served as chauffeur, nurse, cheerleader, nutritionist, therapist, believer, investor, and, most importantly, friend…thank you. 💖
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This article might not appear directly related to soccer or seem immediately helpful for coaches, players, or parents seeking soccer-specific knowledge. However, if that’s your takeaway, I encourage you to revisit the “thank-you’s” with fresh eyes. Beyond the X’s and O’s, technical activities and counterattacking strategies lie the true foundations of soccer—especially in youth soccer. I hope these expressions of gratitude inspire you to share a few thank-you’s of your own within your soccer community.
Koach Karl’s Thank You Notes:
A FUNdamental thank you to Mike Singleton for crafting such a profound and timely article!
A heartfelt thank you to all the supporters/contributors to the SOCCERevolution, whose passion and dedication have championed Quad-Goal Soccer, transforming it from a bold idea into an inspiring movement.
Finally, thank you for a game that keeps children physically active and mentally sharp—and, with the suggested FUNdamental changes, has the power to inspire a lifelong love for the game!
