Out of Ideas

Question
Hi I am a Sophomore. I played football for the first time my freshman year. I was the starting QB and lead the team to an undefeated season. 8-0. Im 6'2" and weigh 180. Ive been told by my team mates that I have a great arm. The thing is I didnt play my sophomore year. I didnt realize how much I loved fooball. So Im going to be a junior. I have never really had a conversation with my coach about playing. Im sure he even knows that I want to play. I know I want to play but I dont know what I should do now. Im sure you have had some coaching experience. So i need some advice from a coaches point of view. Im out of ideas. Should I talk to him or not. And if I do what do I say? Please help me. And thanks for taking time to read this.

Answer
Hello Kendall

I make my living by talking to people, so I'm a big believer in communication.  I'm also a big believer in the power of honesty and a heartfelt apology.

You didn't say how your school did this season.  Coaches LIKE winning seasons, sometimes their jobs depend on it.  If the season didn't go well, your coach might feel hurt, disappointed, betrayed, angry or even a combination of those.  He might feel that way anyway.

My opinion is that your best bet is to talk to your coach, tell him you messed up bad by not playing, tell him you are sorry and you'll do WHATEVER it takes to play in your junior year.  Maybe this will work, maybe not, but you'll never know unless you try.  I've had to make some tough apologies, and it can be REALLY hard, but sometimes you just have to be tough and do the right thing.

If the coach decides to give you another chance, and you REALLY love football, then it's up to you to exceed his expectations.

I'd also suggest you ask a couple of other experts on this forum for their opinions.

Good luck and let me know how it goes.

David

David Kenward, The Mental Coach
Sacramento, California
http://www.thementalcoach.com
Win the Mental Game: Perform better under pressure in any sport