Reason #32 for Coaching

32. To teach a child that his/her size is neither a weapon nor an obstacle, but instead a resource.

I am an assistant coach for two boys soccer teams, ages 8-12. The younger team is 3rd and 4th graders; the older team is 5th and 6th graders. Most of these boys I see at school, but rarely interact with because I serve in the 2nd grade classroom. The "little" guys have had a rough season with only two victories. The older guys have had more success, might even make it to the championships.

Ultimately though, it's not about the number of "W"s. The real victories are measured in how the boys change. And for one boy, hopefully we made some progress on #32 tonight. That makes everything worth it.

And, definitely the highlight of my day.

A Time to Work, A Time to Rest

Yesterday's highs:

• I visited a new church that was suuuuuper welcoming. As in, people kept pulling other people over to meet me. And before I left, the yound adult minister introduced himself to me. 
• The church had a potluck! How lucky can I get?!
• Played football in the park with a few friends. I've never done this before, only played football in PE class really. We played tackle and I'm quite proud to say I brought down everyone on the field (even my "bro" and my 6'2'' friend)  Yeahhh...it was cool to somehow be the most athletic one playing.
• Made a puzzle with two housemates. I love puzzles. Always have. It was a very popular activity in my highschool dorm. This one was easy, only 500 pieces, so we already finished it.

Today's forecast:

• getting a free flu shot. Yippee! Free = happy. Not getting the flu like I did every year of my childhood = ecstatic.
• heading to the volunteer retreat for a few days. So, no work!!

I'll be offline until Wednesday probably :)

Goodwill, trivia, and church

Yesterday's highs:

• sleeping in
• lunch with my sister at a restaurant catering to vegetarians (that's me!)
• finding great buys at Goodwill ($15 for two sweaters and two button-ups)
• late night tea and conversation with housemate

Yesterday night was also trivia night at a local Catholic church. I have never been to a trivia night, so I was expecting it to be a bunch of old people quietly competing for small prizes. Boy was I wrong. My first clue should have been that this was a CATHOLIC event. If there is one thing I have learned about Catholics thus far in my service, it is that they have a different attitude towards alcohol from most Protestants. Indeed, at trivia night, there was an open bar AND most tables also brought their own "adult beverages." Additionally, every table brought their own chips and bean dip, casseroles, brownies, weenies, potato salad, avocado rolls, etc, etc. It was crazy! Like the most insanely fun and old people indoor picnic. The trivia part of it was hard for us young-ins but the atmosphere made it enjoyable.

Today's forecast

• new church today
• as many cups of tea as it takes to stop feeling like I'm getting sick
• Postsecret :)

First Post

Hi. I'm a volunteer. What does that mean? I am giving a year of my life in service to AmeriCorps, or more specifically, the Catholic Volunteer Network. In return, I get food and housing, and a small monthly stipend. Most importantly, I get an educational award at the end of the year, which I can use towards college loans (which are currently quite large) or further education.

Where will I be in a year? That's what this blog is about. I am focusing this year on being present in the moment, with an eye to the future.  Sometimes things fall into your lap, and sometimes you have to go out and seize them. I live in the tension between those two paths.

In chronicling my daily highs, I am choosing to focus on the positive. I choose joy. I choose the glass half full. This isn't completely natural to me, so that's why I'm making this blog.