I like to joke and say that I’m his best assistant coach. I probably know more than some of the rookie coaches, anyway.
I haven’t always felt that way. I used to feel like I wasn’t even good enough to be his water girl. Then I changed my perspective. I gave myself the job of assistant, and I started doing the work that people don’t see.
Don’t get me wrong – I take days off without his approval and never let him boss me around. But here are some things I started doing to feel seen by my coach (because we all know coach only notices things related to his sport).
1. Practice cards – I miss the days of coloring those cards, but technology has replaced me. He no longer needs me to color the “F” green, the “X” purple, the “Y” yellow, the “H” orange, or the “Z” blue. Now, I just underline and write on the cards and stick them in a notebook.
2. Practice script – he types like a chicken pecking the ground, so I like to type out his practice script after I finish the cards. He reads it out to me, and I type it into the spreadsheet.
3. Laundry – yes, we do laundry for the kids. I don’t mind hanging it all up in their lockers every Sunday.
4. Water –I don’t mind cleaning and filling water bottles and water coolers.
5. Locker decorating – he doesn’t ask for this one. It’s just an added bonus. I win the award for assistant coach with the best handwriting.
6. Powerlifting meet official – I don’t even know if that’s what it’s called, but I’ve worked the table at meets and kept track of each lift.
7. Track assistant – this one makes for a long day! I’ve spent many days carrying around a clipboard and writing down results. I also carry around a stopwatch. I’m pretty accurate with it!
The list goes on, but these are some of my favorite parts of my “job.” And you know what? Sometimes I do NOTHING. I stay home because self-care is important, too.