Moving on.

I made the decision to move on from Fairlawn High School with some reluctance.  I had accepted the positions there because 1) my wife was changing careers and we needed the extra income and 2) because I wanted to continue coaching soccer. Fairlawn offered me both a position in the school and the head soccer coach position for which I remain extremely grateful. I have come to love the work and many of my co-workers.  The coaching has been interesting: perhaps my most disappointing year of coaching followed by the most rewarding year of coaching I have had in a long time.

I'm not going to dwell on the negatives here other than to say there were some: selfish players, helicopter parents - typical obstacles found anywhere and everywhere.

I want to focus on the positives. First the work aspects: Amber, Chris, Cory, Jodi, Jason ... truly outstanding educators. These folks go above and beyond in service to the young people entrusted to them. Each is willing to build teacher / pupil relationships that put students at ease and facilitate learning. I've learned so much from each of them.

The players.  I must admit that after the 2017 season I seriously considered hanging up the whistle and clipboard. That season had been so disastrous that the ability of the program to survive was in doubt.  The very real threat of the program folding is ultimately what kept me in the coaching game. I prayed on it and felt God had brought me to Fairlawn to navigate a terrible season and persevere through at least the next season to lay a foundation that could be built upon. We have succeeded in doing this. The program has grown from 4 players this time last year to an estimated 22 players for the 2019 season.

The credit is only partially mine. The majority of credit goes to the following players: Lucas and Leeann were our seniors and both did a remarkable job in stabilizing a floundering program. That will be their legacy to Fairlawn soccer. And quite a legacy it is. Grace, Seth, Katie and Payton were the underclassmen who stepped forward to provide leadership to the team. They were positive in the face of almost overwhelming adversity and understood our success was measured through continuous improvement in the process.  These six individuals demonstrated maturity, character, dedication and positivity well beyond their years. Their teammates followed their lead. They will each enjoy success in life because of these traits and collectively he four who return can lead the Fairlawn soccer program to the next level.

My wife is enjoying her new work as CFO of a non-profit and I have found new employment with Van Wert City Schools / the Western Buckeye Educational Services Center.  I will be coaching men's soccer at Van Wert and am looking forward to the challenge. When I took over the Lima Central Catholic girls program they had never had a winning season in its 11 years of existence. That was preperation for this next adventure as I'm not sure Van Wert has enjoyed a winning season in its 24(?) years of existence. I am really looking forward to the challenge.

I am going to remember the lessons learned from my time at Fairlawn. The successes and the failures alike. So very much learned that can be applied going forward. I am especially going to remember the people. Those mentioned previously and people like Miss Betty, Betsy, Shelly, Deb, Gail, Todd, JT, Yolanda, Erin, Thersa, Darren, Karen and so many more.

I have a stated goal of wanting to learn something new each and every day and they all helped fulfill this goal over the last two years. I am sure I have missed a few, my apologies. This is one of the hazards of trying to name so many.

Most importantly, I wish to thank Caleb Puckett, the young man I was primarily charged to work with at Fairlawn. Caleb has been a daily inspiration to me and in truth was the deciding factor in my returning to Fairlawn this year. He is Developmentally Disabled or so they tell me. What Caleb actually is, is unique. He processes information differently than you or I. He is most definitely not dumb, just slow in doing things conventionally. He is quite smart and has a strong desire to learn. The progress he made these two years has been amazing. Until he ran up against calculus and trigonometry he mastered every academic challenge presented to him. And in fact, he was doing okay in those subjects before the decision was made to focus on more practical math, or math Caleb will need to be able to perform routinely in daily life.  Such a rewarding experience for me. I thank God for having had this experience.

And now, I am moving on.  Moving on to the next adventure.