The Perfect Season Part II: The Accidental Psychologist

After The Perfect Season (which, as you'll recall, was perfect only in its consistent demonstration of how not to coach soccer), I found myself with an unexpected second chance. The league, in its infinite wisdom – or perhaps desperate need for volunteer coaches – allowed me to continue roaming the sidelines. Even more surprisingly, most of our players returned. Though I later realized this might have had less to do with their faith in my coaching trajectory and more to do with their parents' appreciation for free childcare.

This time around, I abandoned my clipboard and its precious performance metrics. No more sprint times, kick distances, or passing accuracy charts. Instead, I became a six-year-old psychologist. What made little Johnny's eyes light up? What caused Anthony to bounce with excitement??

No, I didn't make these elementary school boys take Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessments (though I briefly considered it). Instead, I watched. I observed. I learned.

The transformation was fascinating. Remember Johnny, our reluctant winger from last season? Turns out he was a natural defender. His speed wasn't meant for scoring goals – it was meant for chasing down opponents and taking the ball away. His eyes would sparkle with triumph every time he made a successful tackle. He wasn't avoiding the goal; he was hunting for opportunities to stop others from reaching it.

Anthony, our former midfielder who never saw his open teammates? He became our star winger. That tunnel vision I once saw as a weakness became his superpower. When all you can think about is scoring goals, it turns out you get pretty good at it. His singular focus, once properly channeled, turned into an asset .

We discovered that some kids lived for the assist – they'd beam with pride when setting up a teammate's goal. These became our midfielders, the ones who'd run themselves ragged just to help others shine. Others craved the thrill of the defensive battle, treating each one-on-one challenge like their own personal superhero moment.

The results? Well, we didn't exactly storm to the championship. But mid-table isn’t bad for a team that hadn't won a single game the previous season, it felt like winning the World Cup. The kids were no longer just playing soccer – they were expressing who they were through soccer. Practice became less about drills and more about showing their personality.

This lesson followed me well beyond the soccer field. In business, I started seeing the same patterns. Some people are natural strikers – they thrive on taking shots, missing most, but celebrating wildly when one goes in. Others are born midfielders – they find joy in making the whole team better, content to orchestrate success from the background. And those defenders? Every organization needs people who take pride in preventing problems before they happen.

Whether in youth soccer or in life, success doesn’t come from forcing square pegs into round holes. It's about finding the right-shaped holes for your perfectly unique pegs.

But what is a season of coaching soccer without drama and what happened at the pizza party after the end of season tournament surprised all the soccer moms….stay tuned for Part III!!