La Mirada soccer banquet

I'm officially on spring break! mid-terms finished up this afternoon for me and I am done with school for the next 8 days. yeeeeeAHHH. I'm so excited to just chill. this afternoon before softball practice I was able to finally do laundry and to clean my side of the room - it's been pretty bad.





tonight was my La Mirada banquet... i have been dreading it. only because it was the finale to my midterm week and I didn't feel like I had enough time to prepare to speak. Dude, this event was almost as lavish as a wedding - im sure the planning wasn't too far off either. It was held at a golf course and we were served dinner. the night ended up being incredibly successful, enjoyable, touching -yes I used the word touching, and an occassion I will never forget. i have never spoke in front of a group of people for soooo looong. it was good practice and I received several complements after the banquet concluded - which was encouraging... things like "we are very appreciated of the things you had to say about our girls and about the program." when all the awards were given out and everyone had said everything that they wanted to say, I addressed my team alone and told them that I wasn't going to return next year. there were lots of tears and lots of hugs, and not until now, as I look at my team picture, do I realize how much I have learned and grown from these group of high school girls. they were very loving and caring and the only reason I made it through the season. can you believe it!!?? my girls got me so many gifts!! royal blue quilt with a soccer ball pattern and on the backside the team picture was printed with a note from every girl written around it. they also framed and matted a team photo and adorned it with their signatures. ANNNNND they gave me gift certificates totalling to $60!! they definitely went overboard and I am very thankful for their generosity. below is a letter that I wrote to all of them:

To my amazing JV team,

This past season has been a unique experience as I have ventured to the other end of the spectrum to a first-year Coach from a 17-year competitor. Since I came to the coaching scene a little on the late side, it took a good chunk of the pre-season for us to become acquainted; for you to get to know me and for me to become familiar with your style and level of play - not to mention, all of your quirky personalities and your school traditions. After getting your names down pact during a shooting drill at one of our first practices together - do you remember? - I felt confident that we would start to gel as we progressed.
We were incredibly successful in the pre-season, only losing a couple games - one in particular is the Sunny Hills final against Brea. This was one of the first games we experienced with the temporary upgrade of some of our family to the Varsity program, who were dearly missed throughout the duration of our season. Although our first loss was disappointing to the players, it was very exciting for me to see how you guys reacted when you were put in a position of adversity for the very first time. I was so proud to see all of you fight to win until the final blow of the whistle.
After a handful of our players were permanently moved to Varsity, we had room to completely remodel our formation and positions. Of course I was sad to see them leave our team, but I was also stoked for them and their opportunity to compete at the Varsity level. I was also excited to see how you guys would step up after losing a couple of your teammates and friends. When we lost to Mayfair, our first game to kick off the season, I realized that we had work to do and that it was my job to prepare you for the next time around when they were to come to our home field.
Do you remember ladders? If you remember correctly, I only had you guys run a full set of them once. It was amusing to watch the different ways you would go about during the game trying to eliminate the number of ladders you had to run by setting up one of your teammates over and over to score. We slaughtered most teams in the league, and at nearly every half time I would have to stipulate the way you scored your goals, whether by a volley or header of a cross or a bicycle kick.
I noticed the hardest loss of the season for you guys was when Mayfair came around the second time. We trained hard and specifically for this one competition and you guys came out like studs and out-shot, out-defended, and straight outplayed those kids - and when it was all said in done, when the game ended at 1-0, they knew that you guys had handled them, that you guys dominated that game. Nothing made me more proud then to watch each and every one of you step up and play, regardless of whether I put you at a new position or gave you a role you weren‘t used to. Each and every one of you left all you had out their on the field, I commend you for that.
This year I subtly implemented my coaching philosophy for you guys as my high school JV team. The first and primary objective is to prepare those of you who are interesting in playing Varsity, which maintains that the formation and tactics of your team should reflect that of the Varsity’s. The second objective, and less the central focus, is to cater to those of you who are participating on the team for sorority purposes. At a competitive level, this isn’t something that should not be present as a primary objective because it should not exist. For the JV team I saw a diverse group of girls; ones who loved soccer and wanted to pursue it further to varsity and even in post-high school endeavors, those of you who were pursuing to play Varsity only, and then those of you who expected to have fun, grow, and build friendships by participating on the JV team. To achieve both of these objectives there must be a balance between training you guys hard and providing for you an enjoyable experience where you can grow as a person and learn things that will prepare you for anything you face in your life and in the future. I am your coach, but I am most importantly someone who cares that you are succeeding in all areas of your life.
I regret to inform you that, do to circumstances that have no relation to La Mirada in any way, I will not be returning to coach you guys next year. The bigger part of the story is that I will not be returning to California to attend HIU next year, and instead I will be in Chicago playing for Trinity International University. I feel like we just got started, that we just put our foot in the door and next year was the year to kick it wide open. Although I won’t be around to watch you do it, I am confident that with whoever takes my position you have the more than enough capability and strength to do so yourselves. I want to thank each and every one of you for being a part of my first coaching experience. It is my hope that you have grown and learned from me even a fraction of what I have gained from you guys. May God bless you while you finish up high school and begin the process of furthering your education and beginning your lives. I will miss all of you!

Love,

Nicole Collins