This story initially appeared on Behind the Whistle, the official blog of the IWLCA, and is being republished with permission from the organization. Emily Bitka is the assistant coach at Stevens Institute of Technology.
The definition of change is, “To make the form, nature, content, future, etc. of something different from what it is/was,” and woah, has 2020 been the year of change!
If 2020 has taught me anything, it has been the ability to open my mind up to change and deal with things that are out of my control. A lot has changed over a small period of time and forced us to adapt and get comfortable with being uncomfortable. We often preach this to our student-athletes, telling them to “control the controllables,” and to not let the things we can't control bring us down. Well, that goes for us as coaches as well.
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in our country, it was easy to be angry and upset. We were sad for our team, especially our seniors, whose last season was cut short. We were angry we didn't get the season we had talked about for months or the chance to compete in a new conference for a championship. We were disappointed about all the bus rides, singalongs, team meals and laughs we would miss out on. As coaches, our job is to be there to support our amazing group of student-athletes. Within a matter of minutes, their world and ours was turned upside down with no answers in sight. It was easy to sit and say, “Why us?” or, “This can't be real.” But this was when they needed us the most.
The creativity that every program put into place to make sure their team had a senior night and a chance to spend time with their teammates was unmatched. The support from other teams on our campus offering words of encouragement ultimately brought our department even closer. Team dinners and pregame talks turned into FaceTime and Zoom calls miles apart as we awaited the unknown.
And thus, the world of virtual learning and coaching was thrust upon us. I can't tell you how many times I have heard, “Can you hear me?” or, “My WiFi isn’t working” or the classic, “I think you are muted.” This is on top of the lagging, freezing and just overall technical issues based on how many people were sharing the WiFi. Yet we adapted and grew for the sake of our team because at the end of the day, a pixilated blob of someone showing off their puppy is better than nothing at all!
This goes to show that, as coaches, we will do anything to make sure our team is taken care of both near and far. For some of us, that meant countless FaceTimes and phone calls to figure out what the heck Zoom even was and how to use it. For others, it's a reminder that it's OK to ask for help during a time of drastic change. Patience and understanding can go a long way. I am thankful to have a support system that made our transition online easier.