By Carlos Moreira
“Coach, what do I do?” an eight-year-old asks me as his team loses the soccer ball to the opposing team. “Figure it out,” they hear me say. Without missing a beat, he turns back to his team and says, “Okay, we’re changing our game plan. We have to make the defense stronger!”
Having coached this young boy for years, I know he has worked hard enough to earn this moment. After seasons of soccer classes, he has learned about himself as a player and has learned to read others, assessing their strengths as well as their weaknesses; he can now make decisions for his team without my interference. His teammates, humbled by the challenging game, do not dispute this young boy’s leadership. They work together towards a mutual goal and, without even realizing it, learn the true meaning of teamwork.
In two minutes, I witness a paradigm shift: an eight-year-old boy realizes he can make decisions and solve problems on his own, and his teammates learn to follow his voice and collaborate as a unit. Although this young player’s autonomy and his team’s solidarity seem to have flourished in an instant, it is the result of years of working together to be great soccer players. I have been coaching these kids since they were four years old; I saw them go from kicking small squishy soccer balls to making their own game plans, and I am constantly floored by the growth I am privy to.
In class, I build upon their knowledge of themselves gradually over the years; one day I’ll walk into class and tell them that they have to decide their own teams. For a few moments, they are unsure of what to do and are annoyed that I am not making the call. But they want to play more than they want to complain, so they figure it out and, eventually, they forget there was ever a moment when they could not organize their teams on their own.
What I have learned through soccer is what I seek to instill in my young players: autonomy and authority co-exist with camaraderie. My proudest moment as a coach is seeing a star player pass the ball to an open teammate rather than attempt to score on his own. No matter how many times I witness it, I am always moved by the instant when their love for the game and their respect for each other upstage their desire for individual stardom. Often, when kids learn independence, they associate it with not needing other people. Sports humble us and remind us that we can only succeed if we work together, for no one player can single-handedly win a trophy.
My goal is to see my students mature to the point where they understand that learning to lead is just as important as learning to follow. I am a soccer coach because I became the best version of myself on the field, and that is what I want to offer my kids: a space where they can not only physically express themselves, but also learn what kind of people they want to be.
Carlos was born in Jersey City, NJ and was introduced to soccer at age 5 by his father. He played club, high school and Division III soccer in the offense positions. His favorite title to date, however, is Coach.
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