Ever see someone in real life, so good at something/anything that they were just a joy to watch? A waitress with a smile on her face in a crowded restaurant when everyone else looks gloomy. The guy on the corner dancing with a business sign, doing flips and tricks while cars pass by racing to the next stoplight. A footballer playing in a tense game while smiling and running circles around the other team’s players with a smile on his face.
If you start looking for it, you will see it. Everywhere. People who transcended the job or the role or the situation they are in.
This concept really hit me in Flagstaff Arizona at a tournament my son was playing in for his club team. He was a junior in high school. As I watched his team playing, a crowd starting forming as parents and spectators were awaiting the next match. A few minutes later I heard 2-3 men saying “look at the number 10 on the red & blue team, he is so fun to watch”.
That moment was forever etched in my mind. Strangers watching another youth team and truly enjoying what they were seeing. I realized that when you do something that makes others enjoy themselves or smile or laugh or get excited, you make the world a better place by sharing your gifts and your talents with the world.
To me, seeing someone truly “shine” inspired me. It made me happy to see that person embrace whatever they were doing and do it at such a high level. It was pure joy just for me to watch.
Which made me think: why do something to just be ok? To just get by?
So I started challenging my teams and my players to “Enjoy their Football”. To give their best every single day so that they could experience the JOY of playing and share that feeling with everyone and anyone who was watching.
If you’re a coach or a parent, please inspire your kids to love what they are doing. To focus on the moment. To enjoy every minute with the ball. They need to know how they make the world shine a little brighter when they are improving their game while having fun.
Help them find their SHINE!
Enjoy your futbol!
-Coach Eddie
Coach Eddie, this post is inspirational and I enjoyed reading it. There’s something magical about watching someone so immersed in what they do that it inspires those around them. Your story about the tournament in Flagstaff hit home for me. Seeing someone “shine” in their element, turning a moment into pure joy for others, is such a rare and beautiful thing.
I love your message of encouraging players to find their joy and share it with the world. It’s such an important reminder, not just for kids but for all of us, to embrace what we do with passion and purpose. Thank you for sharing this inspiring perspective!
Enjoy your futbol, and keep inspiring others to shine!
Thanks Dan! Appreciate your feedback. Hoping this message resonates with a lot of parents and coaches so we can inspire these younger players to give everything they have to whatever they put their mind to, even if it doesn’t turn out to be futbol.
Regards,
Coach Eddie