The Triumph of Character
A coach鈥檚 philosophy and pedagogy play out on the field.
By Roy F. Dunshee, Head Men鈥檚 Soccer Coach
鈥淚f you can dream鈥揵ut not make dreams your master;
If you can think鈥揵ut not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster,
And treat those two impostors just the same.鈥�
鈥擱udyard Kipling
Over 400 teams compete in NCAA DIII men鈥檚 soccer. Just 64 qualify for the NCAA tournament. After the first weekend of the tournament, only 16 teams remain. After the second weekend, there are only four left. It鈥檚 a buzzsaw of a competition.
To reach this year鈥檚 Final Four, we bussed over 2,000 miles, competed against top teams, overcame the pressure and scrutiny of high-level competition, steadied ourselves, and did our jobs well. And everywhere we went, we were inspired by the Goose Nation spirit.
We won our share of games this year. But contrary to popular opinion, the business of a college coach is not winning games. We鈥檇 all prefer to win, but it鈥檚 not our business. Our business is human development. We are teachers. We teach in offices, gyms, lunchrooms, and locker rooms and on fields, courts, bodies of water, and buses.
Our curriculum is broad. We teach practical skills particular to our sport and social skills applicable to life. We provide a laboratory for leadership, collaboration, self-governance, and personal growth. We offer lessons in humility, ambition, confidence, and grit. Our work is a study in organizational behavior and group dynamics.
Though we may not be academic, we are certainly educational. However, unlike most educational settings, our 鈥渃lassrooms鈥� are public, competitive, and filled with passion. When emotions are heightened, the stakes rise for everyone. The more challenges our student-athletes face, the greater their opportunity for growth. And this is where our form of instruction can grow wings and really take flight.
Sometimes, the stakes are high because you are not winning. After our first six matches, our record was: 1 Win, 0 losses, 5 draws. Teams can lose cohesion in these situations as fear, dread, and doubt creep into their process. And pressure increases as you battle to fend off failure and stay positive in the face of 鈥渄isaster.鈥�
Sometimes the stakes are high because you are winning. This is the more pleasant challenge. After our inglorious run of draws to start the season, we found our form with 14 wins against just two losses, finished as the top seed in the Centennial Conference, beat six Top-25 teams, and made it to the Final Four. As more people took notice of our work, expectations rose, and we faced the pressure to 鈥渢riumph.鈥�
In good fortune or bad, players and coaches must come to their work each day with humility and purpose and give the best of their spirit to the team. In periods of difficulty, they must learn to hold fear, dread, and doubt at arm鈥檚 length and persevere. In periods of success, they must learn focus, gratitude, and consistency.
Through the longest season in our history, we remained calm, kept our sense of humor, and enjoyed each other鈥檚 company. We started each training session with laughter and joy before 鈥渇lipping the switch鈥� and focusing on serious development. We tried to treat Kipling鈥檚 two 鈥渋mpostors鈥� (triumph and disaster) just the same.
In our semi-final loss to St. Olaf of Minnesota, we competed honorably. With our heads high and without regret, we traveled as far as our collective efforts would allow, held fast to our values, and always strove to be gracious in victory and defeat.
Playing under pressure tests your values and reveals your character. It is an opportunity for growth. For the 缅北强奸 men鈥檚 soccer team, the stakes rose to new heights this season鈥s did our learning and growth. As someone in the business of human development, I regard that as a championship season.