ALITHSA Volunteer Recognition Program

Coach Brian Spears - U8 Sharks

ALITHSA would like to recognize U8 Coach Brian Spears for his "above and beyond" volunteer work.

One of the nominations Brian received said:

"Brian is very positive with the children. His enthusiasm and support to make each child feel successful and an important part of the team is evident at both practice and in game situations. He is an excellent communicator with the parents keeping them appraised of events both weekly and long term."

We took a few minutes of Brian's time to get to know him a lttle better.

ALITHSA:

Brian , there have been several nominations to ALITHSA's Volunteer Recognition Program for your work as a U8 coach. Would you mind letting us get to know you a little and how does being nominated make you feel?

Brian:

It's neat to have parents say some nice things about me - makes me feel like I'm doing something right. But I get a lot of help - my wife puts up with me being way behind on the "Honey Do" list, and my assistant coaches and parents are great. Also, there are a lot good coaches out there - many that I learned from - and there are some really dedicated volunteers behind the scenes at ALITHSA that work hard ALL YEAR LONG so our kids can have this soccer league - without them, none of us would be here.

ALITHSA:

How long have you been involved in soccer and in what forms?

Brian:

I started helping 4 years ago when my oldest daughter played U6 soccer for the first time. After a couple seasons of assisting, I tried the head coach role and have been learning and enjoying coaching my daughters' teams ever since.

ALITHSA:

What are the three top things for you as a U8 coach?

Brian:

Teaching basic skills, teamwork, and sportsmanship are all important, but my top 3 priorities at this age group are:

1) Make it fun
2) Make it fun
3) Make if fun

Seriously, I judge our success by how many of players want to play again the next season. My first season as head coach, it was about half the team. I think I've done a little better each year. At this age, if the kids aren't having fun, what's the point?

ALITHSA:

How long have you been doing the team website?

Brian:

The first time I was a head coach in U7, I decided it would be easiest to dump all the info (game schedule, practice schedule, snack schedule, forms, etc) on a web site - it cut down on the phone calls and miscommunications. Then I had a parent start sending me digital pictures from the games, and it evolved into a really fun web site in addition to being functional. This season's web site is: http://gosharks.home.att.net

ALITHSA:

Tell us about your most special soccer memory or event?

Brian:

I remember in U6 a little girl thought she had scored a goal when her shot had actually missed. That little girl ran back down the field, jumping up and down celebrating, oblivious to the game still going on behind her, and the parents from both teams cheered for her the whole time. Nobody yelled at her or tried to correct her or tell her she did anything wrong - we all just enjoyed the moment.

ALITHSA:

How in your mind can we make soccer in ALITHSA as creative and fun as possible?

Brian:

Teaching positive coaching, parents supporting the coaches (we're all just parents trying to help out), and trying to make the leagues relatively even (this will never be perfect, but close games make it both fun and challenging for all the kids).

ALITHSA:

Anything special you would like to share with all of us in ALITHSA about being a volunteer?

Brian:

Make the time to volunteer now and help out with ALITHSA (or church or school or wherever your kids are involved) while they are still young - it is a great way to spend quality time with your kids. In 10 years, would you rather be able to look back and say "Those were some special times with my kids" or will your memories be: "I sure worked a lot of overtime back then."

ALITHSA:

Thank you Brian!

If you know of any ALITHSA coach, asst. coach, team mom, referee or coordinator that goes above and beyond, please let us know about it. We want to regularly recognize those that stand out from the crowd.

Please send your nominations and the reason for the nomination to mvp@alithsa.org.

Home Page Recreational Program Travel Program Registration Parent Participation Rec Schedules Travel Schedules FAQ Medical Waiver Form Maps to Parks Incident Report Form Volunteer Recognition Referee Information The Laws of the Game ALITHSA Constitution Board Meeting Minutes Contact Us		ALITHSA Volunteer Recognition Program Coach Brian Spears - U8 Sharks ALITHSA would like to recognize U8 Coach Brian Spears for his "above and beyond" volunteer work. One of the nominations Brian received said: "Brian is very positive with the children. His enthusiasm and support to make each child feel successful and an important part of the team is evident at both practice and in game situations. He is an excellent communicator with the parents keeping them appraised of events both weekly and long term." We took a few minutes of Brian's time to get to know him a lttle better. ALITHSA: Brian , there have been several nominations to ALITHSA's Volunteer Recognition Program for your work as a U8 coach. Would you mind letting us get to know you a little and how does being nominated make you feel? Brian: It's neat to have parents say some nice things about me - makes me feel like I'm doing something right. But I get a lot of help - my wife puts up with me being way behind on the "Honey Do" list, and my assistant coaches and parents are great. Also, there are a lot good coaches out there - many that I learned from - and there are some really dedicated volunteers behind the scenes at ALITHSA that work hard ALL YEAR LONG so our kids can have this soccer league - without them, none of us would be here. ALITHSA: How long have you been involved in soccer and in what forms? Brian: I started helping 4 years ago when my oldest daughter played U6 soccer for the first time. After a couple seasons of assisting, I tried the head coach role and have been learning and enjoying coaching my daughters' teams ever since. ALITHSA: What are the three top things for you as a U8 coach? Brian: Teaching basic skills, teamwork, and sportsmanship are all important, but my top 3 priorities at this age group are: 1) Make it fun 2) Make it fun 3) Make if fun Seriously, I judge our success by how many of players want to play again the next season. My first season as head coach, it was about half the team. I think I've done a little better each year. At this age, if the kids aren't having fun, what's the point? ALITHSA: How long have you been doing the team website? Brian: The first time I was a head coach in U7, I decided it would be easiest to dump all the info (game schedule, practice schedule, snack schedule, forms, etc) on a web site - it cut down on the phone calls and miscommunications. Then I had a parent start sending me digital pictures from the games, and it evolved into a really fun web site in addition to being functional. This season's web site is: http://gosharks.home.att.net ALITHSA: Tell us about your most special soccer memory or event? Brian: I remember in U6 a little girl thought she had scored a goal when her shot had actually missed. That little girl ran back down the field, jumping up and down celebrating, oblivious to the game still going on behind her, and the parents from both teams cheered for her the whole time. Nobody yelled at her or tried to correct her or tell her she did anything wrong - we all just enjoyed the moment. ALITHSA: How in your mind can we make soccer in ALITHSA as creative and fun as possible? Brian: Teaching positive coaching, parents supporting the coaches (we're all just parents trying to help out), and trying to make the leagues relatively even (this will never be perfect, but close games make it both fun and challenging for all the kids). ALITHSA: Anything special you would like to share with all of us in ALITHSA about being a volunteer? Brian: Make the time to volunteer now and help out with ALITHSA (or church or school or wherever your kids are involved) while they are still young - it is a great way to spend quality time with your kids. In 10 years, would you rather be able to look back and say "Those were some special times with my kids" or will your memories be: "I sure worked a lot of overtime back then." ALITHSA: Thank you Brian! If you know of any ALITHSA coach, asst. coach, team mom, referee or coordinator that goes above and beyond, please let us know about it. We want to regularly recognize those that stand out from the crowd. Please send your nominations and the reason for the nomination to mvp@alithsa.org.