'Coach, please can you tie my shoelace?'

Coaching grade 2’s how to play the very intricate game of cricket has its ups and downs. Realistically, as far as the cricket goes, the kids are pretty terrible. often in the 45 minute practices they just want me to throw the ball at them and see if they catch it... because catching is everyone grade 2’s favourite part of cricket (even though 80 percent of the balls land on the ground). However, There is more to this job than just teaching them how to play. The part that is most interesting and entertaining is listening to what they say and the way they see the world.

I’ll get back to that...

The days when I’m not with my legendary grade 2’s I coach a team of 14 year olds. Quite a difference! In fact, last week I coached 8 year olds, 11 year olds, 13 year olds as well as my 14-year old team. So I’ve had a pretty good stretch of ages. Each stage of their lives is so different, and they speak/act/think very differently. There is one thing though, one common thread that I see in all of them.

The little ones (grade 2’s) want to learn how to tie their shoelaces, get a real bat and play cricket with a hard ball. The 11 year olds want to get taller. the 13 year olds want to get stronger and have deeper voices, and the 14 year olds want to have a girlfriend... Can you find the common desire? They all want to be big(ger).

They all want to be in the next stage of life thats just beyond their reach, or is in their reach, but something that for some reason beyond their control, they can’t have.

The truth is, we all want something else. Something more then what we are right now. Something we could be. Or our dreams for the future. I personally wish I was famous. you know, a drummer- rocking out for packed stadiums of 80 thousand people, with people running after me and fight for my drum sticks and begging for my autograph... lets not get stuck on details, but you get the picture...

I’m not saying these dreams for the future are wrong or impossible... maybe you will see me in an interview on E! channel, or writing a facebook status that gets fifteen thousand likes... but today- that is not me. When we allow ourselves to get sucked in to what we wish we had, or want one day, we miss the now. We miss whats happening around us.

Maybe you wish you were out of school. Maybe you wish you had a SWEET job at company that paid better. Maybe you wish your kids would grow up and move out, or  you wish you had that retirement home on the beach where the sound of the ocean drowns out the real world. We have to keep those dreams for the future, but not let them control our minds.

Whichever stage of life we’re in, we have got to enjoy it. and just live it! What I have learnt most from these little guys is simple:

When we are more worried about tying our shoelaces, getting bigger or having a girlfriend: we miss out on simply enjoying the grade 2 cricket happening around us.