When do you decide a season is over?

By Head Coach: Alison Wood

When asked to write for this month’s IWFFA Flag Football News, multiple topics were discussed.  If you’ve had a rough season, with many losses …. do you throw in the towel and start your next season to start a clean new slate?

 The topic of: when do you decide a season is over and start focusing on next season then comes up, and my answer to that is never.  If you want to demoralize your team and ensure you won’t win another game that season, that people will leave the team, that no one will give their full effort if any (which will make determining what needs to be worked on impossible) give up on a season.

 Focusing on next season means you have given up on this season and giving up is never a good idea in sports.  You play to the last down, the last whistle, the last game. So, you can’t make the playoffs, you can still improve, you can still win, and going out on a good note encourages people to return to the team.  They see themselves and the team improving.  That will not happen at all if you give up.  I also hate trying different players because the season is over.  The players out there are out there because they earned it.  No individual is ever responsible for a team win or loss so putting different players in and pulling the players that are your best (that’s why you chose them) crushes that player.  The player you’re giving a chance to knows she’s getting the chance because all hope is gone and not that she’s better or going to make a difference just hey let’s give it a shot and so everyone sees it as a loss cause.  It is so important to keep up morale to pull the team together to work on individual and team goals and improvement.  To win just a game or two when it seems all is lost really helps the team for next season.  In other words this season helps next season so don’t ever give up on it.  Perseverance ensures success.

 I played field hockey at Fairleigh Dickinson University.  As of my sophomore year the team never had a winning season and the team never gave up on a season.  The coach never gave up.  My junior year we went 11-1-1, were ranked 13th in the nation and went to the NCAA playoffs.  That doesn’t happen unless everyone believes it can happen and no one will if you give up.  Take one season at a time. Take one game at a time.  Play one down at a time.  Focus on the here and now build up your team and give them confidence that they can and will win.  Never give up, never surrender.