I spent the last three years of my coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Penn State. In my first fall, 2007, the team earned a 10th straight Big Ten title. Last year, in my 3rd and final season, we guided the program to the 12th straight.
This past season, as a now full-time assistant at the University of Utah, I watched the Penn State team from afar as they chased what seemed to be the elusive 13th in a row. Penn State faced numerous challenges during the non-conference portion of the schedule, and some “downs” amongst the “ups” of their Big Ten season.
Earlier today, via Twitter (check out @PSUWomensSoccer – they do a great job!), I followed as the team worked for a win against Michigan – a tie or a loss would mean no Big Ten Title and an end to the precious streak.
As I watched the Twitter feed, I was taken back to the many games that I paced on the sideline at Jeffrey Field and could imagine the heartache starting to creep into the stands as the 0-0 game went from regulation, to the 1st overtime, and into the 2nd. And then, the impossible happened: when it seemed like the game was most certainly over, this tweet popped up on the feed “@PSUWomensSoccer: GOAL!!!!! Schaefer scores!”
A couple of hours after the win, as I exchanged congratulatory texts with the goal-scorer and the seniors on the Penn State team, I could literally feel the excitement and passion seeping through the phone; they had been through the rough patches of the season and had made it through to the other side, not only better off but also victorious.
A friend once noted to me that sport, like nothing else, gives us real lows but also real joys and real highs. Though the lows seem often impossible to navigate and sometimes insurmountable, today, for me, was a great reminder of why we do it: it’s not for the money or the fame, but rather for the possibility that we may lead a group of individuals on the journey of a lifetime.
Congrats, PSWS!
