C.O.A.C.H. Part 5: Humble

By Don Ebert

    Well, it is time to talk about the last letter in our discussion of the five biggest mistakes players make their first year of playing college soccer.  We have talked about many of the pitfalls that are out there just waiting to trip you up in your first year.  The last letter really is just a word that is intended to summarize all the we have discussed here in this thread.  The letter “H” stands for HUMBLE.

    Just remember to be humble in front of your new teammates, coaching staff, athletic training personnel, other athletes and coaches, athletic directors, faculty and staff.  Whenever in doubt, please remember it is better to fly “under the radar” your first year.  No one likes to hang out with prima donnas, especially if these prima donnas are freshmen.  First impressions are so important and are so very long lasting, and as a freshman you will be making these very delicate and powerful first impressions all year long.  Being humble is about checking your ego at the door, not being in the spotlight all the time, letting your teammates and coaching staff get to know the real you, let them all get comfortable around you and then, once you have established yourself and everyone knows the total you, then you can be more demanding, take on more responsibility, become a leader, become a complete man…after all, that is what college is suppose to do, make you a complete person.

    This is my final advice to you as you prepare to go into new and un-chartered waters.  Hopefully, you can learn from the mistakes of others and as a result, your first year will be everything you had hoped for and much, much more.

    Good Luck.