S-C round three!

Five years, two car rides and one plane ride later, I have returned to the SportsChallenge program in Middletown, DE for a third time. However, I am not returning as the nervous, pumped up high school student-athlete but as an avid, passionate soccer coach. Even though it has been five years, I have been welcomed back into the SportsChallenge family in the same fashion I was as a student-athlete a while back—with open arms and high fives all around. Staff training started Tuesday, June 23rd and I immediately started to learn what I took for granted as a youth soccer participant. What I never realized was all the hard work the coaches put into making this program an experience of a lifetime for any teenager. During the past four days, staff at Sports Challenge have been fine-tuning not only how to become a great coach but also a great mentor, leader and teacher. As a newer coach to the staff, I have to say I have been learning from the best of the best.

I also can not help but reflect on my days as a student-athlete five and six years ago. I still have my old SportsChallenge t-shirts and the handouts on how to be a leader and on how to set "smarte" goals: goals that are Specific, Measurable, Accountable, a Reach, within a Time-frame, and Effort based. Most importantly I still have lasting friendships with my former teammates and coaches. I remember after my first year at Sports Challenge, I made my high school soccer team set three individual goals and three team goals for the season—SportsChallenge style. I was able to step up as a confident, well-rounded leader. And these were not part of my character prior to participating in the program. I did not have any title as captain, but SportsChallenge gave me all the tools I needed to help my team on and off the field. That year, my high school soccer team went from a losing record the season prior to being UNDEFEATED. I could not believe the power of effective leadership!

I am so excited for the student-athletes to come in tomorrow! I hope to impact and touch the lives of the student-athletes just as my life was touched by the coaches five years ago. :-)

-Coach Molly Arenberg