The
phrase “the day after” is so filled with suspense and intrigue because we know
that a major event has just transpired that changes everything from that time
on. Therefore there is a sense of mystery, foreboding and anxiety. We want to
know what comes next as the day after is now the start of a new chapter in the
story. Whether it is September 12, 2011, the day after 9/11, the Saturday after
Good Friday when Christ was crucified or December 8, 1941 the day after the
bombing of Pearl Harbor we wake up wondering what this new day brings. It is
not like any other day because when we refer to the day after, the after in the
sentence alerts us to a major shift. It may be the day after a new couples
wedding or the day after a baby’s birth for parents. The day after never has
the same impact as “the day”. It will not be remembered in infamy as FDR spoke
of the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th.
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| Sampsa and I discussing Special Teams |
In many ways the day after has more to do with
the future than does the actual day of a momentous event. September 12th was the day that
decisions began to be discussed as to what should be the response to the
attacks on the Pentagon and the Twin Towers.
Those discussions changed American and global political structures
forever. It is important to note that the day after does not often bring
immediate change. Rather it is a day pregnant with possibilities. It is a day
to regroup, re-evaluate and take time to set a new course. The choices made in the following time period
grow from our thoughts and feelings that we begin to evaluate on the day after.
As football coaches we face these
day after moments weekly, some of them are momentous such as after a crushing
loss or a close victory. Most are not, we merely readjust our course and move
ahead. Football unlike many other sports has a time lag to reflect and adjust.
Basketball and baseball for example play games so soon after a big game that
the shift is often difficult to discern. But in football a full week of
practice and preparation follows a loss or a victory so there is time to licks
ones wounds, change plans and readjust. At the end of a season or in the
playoffs however that time is extended as a full off season begins. The
evaluation is more complete, the planning more complex and the questions of
what went wrong more severe. Today is a
day after for me and I approach it with frustration, fear and wonder. Last
night was a sleepless night as I replayed the game over and over in my mind.
The next few days will be the same if my past experience is to be trusted and a
sense of loss for what might have been will grow. I know that I should approach this day
differently, filled with faith, remembering that God has a plan. But I am more
often like the disciples, hiding out from the Romans and Jewish leaders wondering
If I am the next to be crucified or arrested. I struggle like them to imagine a
world of resurrection where hope reigns.
Yesterday was a momentous day for
me. We lost 50-36 to the Helsinki Wolverines in the Semi-finals of the
Maple League here in Finland. The loss means that I am the coach responsible
for the end of a dynasty. It is never easy to be at the helm of a team when a
run of six straight National Championships ends, but it is even harder to be
that person in a country where personal displays of emotion are rarer than
winning the lotto. In fact I don’t know if Finnish people even display joy when
told they have won the lotto and are now millionaires. So as
everyone retreats to their own personal space of mourning I am facing the day after with all of the
usual questions. How did we lose? What
could I have done differently? What is
next?
Along with those questions comes
others such as will the team bring me back? What am I going to do when I get
back to the U.S.? Where will I live? Do I pack things as if I am not coming
back or leave some things here? Will anyone speak to me? Have I completely let
everyone down? It all seems silly because this is just a game and yet this game
requires so much from players and coaches. It is an all encompassing sport
which demands that you be physically, mentally and emotionally invested. For
baseball players a loss is not the end of the world. In fact in major league
baseball teams with records around .500 are doing well, they are in the playoff
hunt. There will be another game tomorrow to avenge the loss. But in American
football as a player, chances are I will not be walking well tomorrow much less
playing another game. Hopefully by the middle of the week I will feel that my
body will respond to the urging of my mind. By the end of the week I should be
able to move once again at full speed just in time for the game. As a coach you
are trying all week to get into the mind of the opponents to understand what
they are trying to do in order to anticipate what they may do in the upcoming
game. So when you lose in the playoffs
all planning comes to a sudden stop, there is no planning or regrouping so the
evaluation takes center stage. Here in
Finland that is even more pronounced as contracts are on a year to year basis. So there is no planning or building for the
next season right after the game ends.
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| Mickey Kyei with a big play vs. the Wolverines |
So today starts that evaluation.
Plays recalled in your mind, drills that could have been run to improve
tackling or blocking and conversations that should have happened to improve
communication. In reality I understand that the loss falls on my shoulders.
There are many circumstances and situations that I would like to place blame on
but it really comes down to not having my team as prepared as they could be. In
this instance I think we schemed well against the Wolverines but we were
out-athleted. Their American players made big plays and broke from tackles
throughout the game. We needed to emphasize strength and power even more than
we did in the offseason and retain our strength throughout the season. Their
Americans were too strong for us and with the reality that every offensive
touch for them went to those three players our lack of stamina and strength
became too much to overcome. It was a
good game and our players played their hearts out. They gave everything they
had but it was just not enough on the day. We are disappointed and I feel badly
that we were not able to bring home the seventh consecutive National
Championship to Porvoo. But our players
need to hold their heads up and realize that what they accomplished this season
may be even greater than any of the championships? They rose above all
expectations to finish 9-1 and in a tie for the regular season championship.
For me I was reminded this past
week that my focus must also be on more than winning a seventh championship. I
read I Thessalonians 2: 19-20 one day while sitting at Walgrens after lunch.
Paul writes to his friends at Thessalonica, “For what is our hope, our joy, or
the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he
comes? Is it not you? Indeed you are our glory and joy.”
This sentiment is exactly how I
feel now. While I would love to have that seventh championship medal around my
neck I know why I am here. I am here to love people for the sake of Christ. My
ultimate goal has been to love people here in Porvoo and to build community
around the Butchers. We have faced a lot
of challenges this season and yet have remained together. One of the weaknesses
of many teams here in Finland is that they fracture in times of trouble. The
Butchers have not and I hope that what we have built will continue and grow
because these players, this team is my glory and joy. The relationships that
have been built will last for lifetimes, the memories and stories of games,
practices, and road trips will live on. My hope is that the lessons of
perseverance, working together, putting forth great effort and an attitude of
love will carry over to these men’s lives and that they will understand that
there is more to life than the prizes of championships. They are nice to have but they are mere
reminders of battling with brothers for a common goal. May we continue to
strive to battle together in games and lives and make a true difference in our
world and in others lives.
Peace and blessings to you!
Jim
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