What It Means To Be A Team
Photo from Hamilton School District.
Oftentimes competitive sports and player dynamics can cause competition to get in the way of the fun and excitement of being a high school athlete. This is a challenge that coaches have to work with to produce healthy goals for the team, win games, and foster strong team relationships. The Hamilton Adaptive Soccer League is a perfect example of a community that overcame those challenges and demonstrated what it meant to be a great team and bring a new meaning to sports for everyone. Competition aside, the Adaptive Soccer League played a great game, and as they closed their soccer season out with their recent banquet, we wanted to get a coach’s perspective on how the season went.
Assistant Coach Melissa Kappeler had one goal in mind: to give her players the opportunity to compete and represent their school in the Adaptive Soccer League. But to her and her players, this was more than just getting to play in the big games in front of bleachers filled with fans; it was about getting to make mistakes, learn from them, picking each other up, and emphasize the often overlooked parts of team sports. In an interview, Coach Kappeler remarked on specific goals she wanted her players to accomplish in the first games—“The goals I have for my players is for them to love being a part of a team. I want them to enjoy being with their teammates and to continue playing sports for the ASL team.” With the strong foundational goals, this only meant a positive season ahead.
Throughout the interview, Kappeler also connected with the fact that there was more behind just goals that made up the team. The players she got to coach made everything worthwhile. They had to learn how to play and how to play well as teammates, learning the beauty of the game. These players were hardworking, kind, and competitive, and this only furthered them on the court and benefits them in the upcoming seasons. “My players had lots of benefits from being a part of the ASL team. My players benefited from learning what it’s like to be a great teammate. They learned how to support each other when a teammate became frustrated and down. They benefited from being a part of their high school sports experience,” Coach Keppeler stated. And that’s exactly what was seen at the games: Players congratulating each other on big offense and defense moves, cheering each other on from the bleachers, picking each other up after missed shots. That was the beauty of the game, bringing back more than just competition, but compassion and sportsmanship.
As their soccer season came to an end in the past weeks, the reflection of those games only motivates Coach Kappeler for the future, in bowling, which is the winter sport Hamilton will compete in with the adaptive league. This opens up for new skills to be learned, friendships to be furthered, and goals to be achieved. Kappeler remarked on the excitement for the future, highlighting the true great things that come from being a part of a truly great team, stating, “Our next ASL sport is bowling. We hope to have all of our soccer players join the bowling team. This group has built lifelong friendships and it would be fun to see that continue in the bowling lanes.” The fans eagerly wait for the bowling season ahead to cheer on our players, and the players will prepare to face the next season, develop their skill, and build those lifelong friendships.
Enjoying being a part of a team is an experience you just can’t get anywhere else. The Hamilton ASL excelled in their first soccer season, and the wins only brought the team closer together. There is no limit to what they can achieve in the next season's sport, and one thing is for sure, they are doing it as a team.
