Time Passes...22 Years Just Like That

Time passes and things move along. It didn’t seem that long ago that I was anticipating the start of another season at Florida Southern. Since move in happens next weekend it made me think about where I am, where I am going, and how I got here. It is all good, has been fun at times, adventurous at other times, and just “has been” the rest of the way. I find it funny how we just go about our lives and the days tick off concluding months and then the year passes and we wonder what the hell happened to all that time. We think about what we want to do, think about it some more, talk about it a little more, have discussions with people we love about it, and the year passes. There are those few who actually put the plan down, tackle it with fervor, adjust, and then succeed. We look to them as icons, lucky, and the such but rarely do we realize that it is possible if we stop talking and just do. This is what has led me to here.

I coached. For the past twelve years I was a coach. Most people don’t realize that there was also a five-year span right after graduation that I also was a coach. You see, I talked, I had a great life, an easy life, and then it hit me in the face. After graduation, I passed on the career and went to Europe to play tennis. It was fun, amazing, and at the time fulfilling. It did not, however, lead me to where I wanted to go. Or, maybe it did. The problem was that I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I was fortunate that I had an in at Webber, kind of knew the head coach, and started working there. I also worked at a mail box manufacturer in the shipping department, Winn-Dixie, The Lakeland Yacht Club, and odds and ends but mostly at Webber. Then I fell in love. Damn, women! I then proceeded to lose the main part of my job at Webber which meant I had no way of supporting anybody, not even me.

I was instructed nicely that I should get a job if I would like to have a more committed relationship. This started the real job merry-go-round. I worked at GEICO. Great company, awesome benefits, amazing movement through the ranks, and unbelievable bosses. There were some problems. They had these set working hours, lunch breaks, and weird rules on vacation time (2 weeks). I lasted about two years and decided that I needed some freedom so I started teaching middle school. Summers off, vacation during Christmas, out early, and my new spouse would be on the same schedule. It was awesome until I realized that I might kill a child in the modern world. The wonderful thing about it was that I started my lawn service during this time and it grew so fast that I had two full-time jobs. Cha-ching!!. That lasted almost 3 years when I thought I had my dream job. An agricultural company was hiring and I loved agriculture. Let’s just say I sucked, lasted longer than I should have, and they did the proper thing and fired me.

Oops, no job but the real estate market was on fire and had an in. Yes, another in. My in-laws have been in the industry since I met their daughter. I got my license, started working at their office, made two quick sales, and then………my dad called. Webber had just fired the women’s coach and they needed a part-time coach to get the women’s team though the season. I didn’t want to do it but what the heck, it will be fun and I could do both with no problems. So, I started my coaching career with a team that just was not very good. We drove to Jacksonville for our first match and it was over so quickly that it was too early to eat dinner until we got back to Orlando. The match started at 3:00 and at 4:30 we were leaving the facility. The talent wasn’t very good but they tried hard and we had an enjoyable time. About three matches into the season the men’s coach completed his MBA and was offered a job, that you just can’t pass up, in Connecticut so he left. Now the men’s team didn’t have a coach and the boss said I was going to coach them as well. I have gone from a part-time women’s coach selling real estate to a part-time both teams coach and real estate went bye -bye. The season ended and I was offered the job full-time. For some strange reason, I said yes.

That brought me to the second season at Webber which was fun. I was outside, coaching, and enjoying my family. The summer came and I heard that the men’s coach at FSC had resigned to take another job. I knew that I wasn’t ready, nor did I think I really wanted to coach, but I asked my dad if I could apply for the interview experience. I got called for an interview and it was really intimidating. The AD, Lois Webb, and two assistant AD’s, Pete and Marie asked me questions that I wasn’t sure I had answers for. To be honest it felt like I was being grilled but they were polite and amazingly accommodating. When I left I told myself that it was a valuable experience and that if I kept up with what I was doing at Webber I might have a shot to move divisions one day. Time passed and on a very hot day in the middle of that summer my phone rang while I was teaching a lesson. It was Lois offering me the position of men’s head coach at FSC. I told her yes, I think, and then there was a conversation about discussing with the family first, and some other pleasantries’. Michelle happened to be at the pool with Brianna and she knew. I immediately went to talk to my dad, boss, and all the other things he was about it. As hard as it was I knew it was the right thing. Actually, I didn’t. I truly didn’t know if I wanted to coach tennis. It had been such a big part of my life for so long and there were so many things that I wanted to do that I truly wasn’t sure. The rest is history as I accepted the position and started that Fall. I cannot lie and say it was always easy and joyful but the people I was fortunate to surround myself with made those ten years just fly by. The competition was exhilarating on a yearly basis, the support from the administration was second to none, and the guys on the team made every day worth it.

I woke up one day in August of last year and told Michelle I was done. You know that gut feeling that you get deep inside that says, “it is time” just started to creep in. She told me to think about it and we would discuss it later. January rolled around and I sat Michelle and Brianna down after work one night. I told them that this would be my last season. It was time to join the family business and that was going to be our future. We talked about the decision and what it meant. We talked about when to tell people, how to tell them, and how hard it was going to be to let this part of my life go. Again, time passed and April rolled around and I announced it was time for me to leave. It was an emotional experience and the support I received kept my spirits high. Our season ended a bit prematurely but that just meant that I was closer to being a former coach. Time moved on and my last day came. I have said my good-byes and yes, I shed some tears. I have watched almost 40 players graduate during my ten years. I have seen boys become men, watched them become lawyers, preachers, accountants, tennis coaches, business execs, and pursue their passions. It was an honor to know them and to have a small part in their development. There is never an easy time to go because you are always going to leave people behind. The best you can hope for is that they have learned something from you that they can use in the new challenges.

Time for sure passed, I got a lot older, people I loved have been lost, and our family keeps moving on. One of the big reasons for leaving was to pursue some of the things I have always kept close to my heart. It has been two months and time has passed. Time is never going to stop. Will the excuses? Chase what you want, with what you have, the best way you know how. Learn as you go and don’t be afraid to fail. It actually does work.