Well, we just finished a tough season at SF. It is the first time in a long time that we did not make the play-offs. I must confess it was a tough year. We had lots of new grade 11s this year. We had a lot of change and many injuries. We won our first game and then things went down hill from there. We had a couple of close ones but ultimately we had one win.
That... is not the end of the story.
The reason why I love this game so much is because the lads never gave up. That's right after our fourth game, the coaches were concerned about who was gonna show up. There was already a good chance that we may not be in the playoffs after a close loss to our arch rival. But the boys kept coming out.
Our last game of the year we lost to a team 35-10 that beat us 51-0 the first time we played them. Now I am no math genius but I would say even by the score and for sure by the game we improved!! We had many starters injured including: starting qb, both running backs, slot back etc etc. Yet the lads did not quit!
You see there is this thing called character. Character is not about never falling down, it is about getting up every time you fall down!! The lads kept getting back up! This is why I love this game called football. It teaches you to get back up even when you are down.
I want to say to the Senior Boys Redhawks hold your head up! You never gave up! And I am proud to associate with you.
To the rest of the world that reads this blog and doesn't play football. When you fall in life, get back up! Don't give up! You can do it! Even in the seasons of life when you lose more than you win. That season will be over soon and with that character you have learned you will go FAR!
Until Next Time! See you on the field.
Coach Birley
Friday 19 October 2012
Tuesday 26 June 2012
Coach, Is He Gonna Be OK?
Recently we have a very challenging football game. It proved to be the last of the season. We lost on the last play of the game. Nearing the end of the game we had one of our amazing players get hurt.
The personnel on the side lines decided it was in the student's best interest to call the ambulance.
All of our players were affected by what was happening on the sidelines. To be honest here was a little look of fear in all the boys eyes. Then one of the players said to me, "Coach is he gonna be ok?" To which I immediately responded, "Yes he will be fine." Not necessarily because I knew that for sure, but because I wanted to give the boys some assurance and hope.
Soon after that the other team got the ball and scored on the last play of the game to end the game. I will never forget going back to the team after the game and sharing with them that they are all champions, that I was proud of them and that they scored 30 more points on the team than they did the last time we played them.
After the game I was told the young lad would be fine and I felt so much better. As I drove home I remembered the question, "Coach is he gonna be ok?"
Football is a very physical sport but it is also a sport that promotes family. I knew when I was asked the question and when I looked into the eyes of the boys around me that we were all family and everyone was concerned. I will never forget that huddle when I saw the look in each of the boys eyes.
Let's take the time to ask the question, "Is he or she gonna be ok?" Let's not race through life and not stop to ask the question. Maybe there is someone at work, at school, in your family, in your neighbourhood and everything is not ok. Don't ignore it! Ask the question. Sometimes we are afraid to ask the question because if they say no, or they start to talk, we don't know what we will do next. Trust your instinct it is a God given quality! Don't ever be afraid to ask, if everything is all right.
Another season has come and gone and it will only be a couple of months and I will be back on the high school gridiron. Over the summer take sometime to ask the questions. Parents, hugs your kids and take some extra time to hang out around a campfire or by the beach. Time is flying by.... there is always time to ask, "Coach, is he gonna be ok?"
See You on the Field!
Coach Birley
The personnel on the side lines decided it was in the student's best interest to call the ambulance.
All of our players were affected by what was happening on the sidelines. To be honest here was a little look of fear in all the boys eyes. Then one of the players said to me, "Coach is he gonna be ok?" To which I immediately responded, "Yes he will be fine." Not necessarily because I knew that for sure, but because I wanted to give the boys some assurance and hope.
Soon after that the other team got the ball and scored on the last play of the game to end the game. I will never forget going back to the team after the game and sharing with them that they are all champions, that I was proud of them and that they scored 30 more points on the team than they did the last time we played them.
After the game I was told the young lad would be fine and I felt so much better. As I drove home I remembered the question, "Coach is he gonna be ok?"
Football is a very physical sport but it is also a sport that promotes family. I knew when I was asked the question and when I looked into the eyes of the boys around me that we were all family and everyone was concerned. I will never forget that huddle when I saw the look in each of the boys eyes.
Let's take the time to ask the question, "Is he or she gonna be ok?" Let's not race through life and not stop to ask the question. Maybe there is someone at work, at school, in your family, in your neighbourhood and everything is not ok. Don't ignore it! Ask the question. Sometimes we are afraid to ask the question because if they say no, or they start to talk, we don't know what we will do next. Trust your instinct it is a God given quality! Don't ever be afraid to ask, if everything is all right.
Another season has come and gone and it will only be a couple of months and I will be back on the high school gridiron. Over the summer take sometime to ask the questions. Parents, hugs your kids and take some extra time to hang out around a campfire or by the beach. Time is flying by.... there is always time to ask, "Coach, is he gonna be ok?"
See You on the Field!
Coach Birley
Wednesday 6 June 2012
Nice Catch _____ !
I just wanted to share a wonderful moment that I saw a couple of weeks ago.
We were practicing football with our young team in SF. One of the lads that plays running back was replaced by another young lad who was not as "seasoned" at that position. On the snap of the ball the new running back went out for a pass, he caught the ball and was tackled by the original running back who was now playing defence. When the tackler got up, he handed the ball to the young man and said, "Nice catch ____ " (his name in the blank).
It was just 3 words, "Nice catch _____". I will never forget this. The young lad who said these words, is a very good football player. He doesn't say a lot, but those three words were filled with life, encouragement and changed the atmosphere on the field that day.
Words are very powerful things. In the Bible it's say that "life and death are in the power of the tongue."
I learned a lesson from a young lad playing football. Who took the time to speak words of life!!
So what is the lesson, the challenge from this. We all have an opportunity to learn from this young man who spokes words of life. Today would be a great day to offer words of life! It doesn't have to be a lot of words, sometimes it's just 3. But take the time and speak words of life: in your home, at school, at work, in the store, to a total stranger. IT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Until next time.
Coach Birley
I just wanted to share a wonderful moment that I saw a couple of weeks ago.
We were practicing football with our young team in SF. One of the lads that plays running back was replaced by another young lad who was not as "seasoned" at that position. On the snap of the ball the new running back went out for a pass, he caught the ball and was tackled by the original running back who was now playing defence. When the tackler got up, he handed the ball to the young man and said, "Nice catch ____ " (his name in the blank).
It was just 3 words, "Nice catch _____". I will never forget this. The young lad who said these words, is a very good football player. He doesn't say a lot, but those three words were filled with life, encouragement and changed the atmosphere on the field that day.
Words are very powerful things. In the Bible it's say that "life and death are in the power of the tongue."
I learned a lesson from a young lad playing football. Who took the time to speak words of life!!
So what is the lesson, the challenge from this. We all have an opportunity to learn from this young man who spokes words of life. Today would be a great day to offer words of life! It doesn't have to be a lot of words, sometimes it's just 3. But take the time and speak words of life: in your home, at school, at work, in the store, to a total stranger. IT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Until next time.
Coach Birley
Friday 16 March 2012
Oh Yeah Spring is In the Air - The Spring Challenge
Wow, can you believe it? Winter is oooover!! In just three days I've had 2 football games, some serious passing routes and a couple of basketball games in the driveway. You gotta love spring. This is a very special spring in that all of my lads will be playing football. I know the bug is bad in my house when my youngest is in tears because Dad says it's too cold to play a game of football behind the dale.
Spring is a great time of the year!! Life springs up!! I can see the buds coming on the trees. The birds are back, the bulbs in the garden are just starting to come up out of the ground! Spring symbolizes newness, life, change. The days get longer and the dark gets shorter. You get to see your neighbour out in the yard and you see people all around.
I want to put up a challenge this year. With Spring symbolizing change, and newness and growth. I want to challenge each one of you to do something different this Spring. I did something different last Spring, it involved cutting back on the eating and doing some more exercise. The result so far is 32 pounds lost. I also this winter started playing squash with a few good friends at 6:30am.
Let's do something different this Spring. Get off your... duff (I think that is a good choice) and do something! Anything! Change it up! Mix it up! Laugh it up! Come on... forget the same old same old!
I can't wait for next week we start Spring Football. It is going to be amazing being out there with those lads and seeing all my boys playing. It makes life crazy but hey... it's Spring! Come on!
Do something and tell someone. Send me a note and let me know what you are doing.
Until next time! Let's try something new!
Coach Birl
Spring is a great time of the year!! Life springs up!! I can see the buds coming on the trees. The birds are back, the bulbs in the garden are just starting to come up out of the ground! Spring symbolizes newness, life, change. The days get longer and the dark gets shorter. You get to see your neighbour out in the yard and you see people all around.
I want to put up a challenge this year. With Spring symbolizing change, and newness and growth. I want to challenge each one of you to do something different this Spring. I did something different last Spring, it involved cutting back on the eating and doing some more exercise. The result so far is 32 pounds lost. I also this winter started playing squash with a few good friends at 6:30am.
Let's do something different this Spring. Get off your... duff (I think that is a good choice) and do something! Anything! Change it up! Mix it up! Laugh it up! Come on... forget the same old same old!
I can't wait for next week we start Spring Football. It is going to be amazing being out there with those lads and seeing all my boys playing. It makes life crazy but hey... it's Spring! Come on!
Do something and tell someone. Send me a note and let me know what you are doing.
Until next time! Let's try something new!
Coach Birl
Tuesday 3 January 2012
I Can't Wait for Next Season
In coaching there are times when you just can't wait for next season. This year we had a "toughie" at the school I coach. You know sometimes you just don't see the potential that you think you have in a team.
I can remember one year when I was coach in Hamilton. Our team had won the city championship the year before and we were 0 and 5 in the present season. Our last game of the regular season was against an opponent that was 1 and 4. If we beat them we would not be in last. The game was cold and wet and very muddy and... WE LOST!! BIG TIME!! It was our last game and and we thought we could beat them and we got killed. At the very end of that game a thought came to me... "I can't wait for next season!"
It was really strange. I was emotionally drained from the game and the lousy season we had but there was this little spark that ignited in this phrase in my head, "I can't wait for next season."
Well, 2011 is over!! For some it was a lousy season. For some you are glad it is over. 2012 is here and it is a new season. Forget about the mistakes, the losses, the lack, the frustration, the failure! It's only 3 days old! It's gonna be better, believe it and live it!! Get out there! Get in the game! Play to Win!
Or as we say at SF, Play like a Champion, Act like a Champion!
Until Next Time
Coach Birley
I can remember one year when I was coach in Hamilton. Our team had won the city championship the year before and we were 0 and 5 in the present season. Our last game of the regular season was against an opponent that was 1 and 4. If we beat them we would not be in last. The game was cold and wet and very muddy and... WE LOST!! BIG TIME!! It was our last game and and we thought we could beat them and we got killed. At the very end of that game a thought came to me... "I can't wait for next season!"
It was really strange. I was emotionally drained from the game and the lousy season we had but there was this little spark that ignited in this phrase in my head, "I can't wait for next season."
Well, 2011 is over!! For some it was a lousy season. For some you are glad it is over. 2012 is here and it is a new season. Forget about the mistakes, the losses, the lack, the frustration, the failure! It's only 3 days old! It's gonna be better, believe it and live it!! Get out there! Get in the game! Play to Win!
Or as we say at SF, Play like a Champion, Act like a Champion!
Until Next Time
Coach Birley
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