Owls Find Beautiful Lessons in Rematch Loss to Cougars

1,500. 

That is the number that surfaces online when someone searches “how many decisions does a teacher make in a school day?” The data, which comes from a website called busyteacher.org, apparently suggests that these are just the educational decisions. The other ones? The ones that have to do with the collection of humans involved in the school day? Well those ones are constant.

Still, it is the elements of a school that are qualitative in nature that matter most. Sure, there is tons of measuring to be done in schools, and evaluations, schedules, and feedback are often easy to quantify, but as an educator for the past 17 years, it’s the stories that matter most. I have a vivid recollection of a conversation I had with a middle school student, probably 10 years ago, during which I asked them about what they were learning about themself as a learner. 

“You know what, Mr. McDonough? I think I’m just learning how good it feels to try. I just love trying hard.”

I will never forget that conversation because it was memorable for its simplicity, its wisdom, but also its truth. For so many people in the world today, it feels like image is the most important thing. How, we wonder, will I be received, remembered, celebrated, or criticized, based upon my words, actions, decisions, or influence? Even showing effort, or demonstrating that you care, can–in certain circles–be seen as an undesirable attribute. Urban Dictionary has a description of someone called a tryhard, defined as “a face-saving insult used by someone who is feeling inadequate. Basically accuses anyone who is better than them at anything of putting in effort.”

Well, when it comes to effort, decision-making, and embodying the essence of trying hard…and loving it, I know a group of twelve young people who simply live for it.

I know this because I have been watching them grow together as a frisbee team. A team who loves trying hard and–whether they win, lose, or tie; drop, catch, thrive, or stumble–cares deeply about each other.

Our rematch with the 6-8th Grade varsity team from OLM provided fertile ground to test this claim of our team’s strengths in a variety of ways.

Firstly, it was hot. Excruciatingly so as the mercury rose to nearly 75 degrees.

Secondly, our team was missing three players, leaving us with only two substitutes.

Thirdly, the game was being played in direct sun against a team that outnumbered ours by twenty players.

On the opening drive, a beautiful dual route run by Tash F. and Jimmy O. ended with the disc just an inch out of their reach. Not to be deterred, the team fought back, but after a number of batted frisbees and defensive stands, they were quickly down two quick scores to the oversized Cougars. Cheering one another on and trusting passes among all their teammates in the midfield, the Owls relied on quick substitutions, ample hydration, and time to rest in the shade, as they mustered two scores of their own, both at the hands of deft passing from Jonah M.. As TF corralled a dropped pass by the Cougars, he made a quick forehand pitch to JM who, pivoting, zipped a backhand toss skyward and into the leaping grip of JO.

Less than two minutes later, it was again JM who took advantage of a dropped OLM pass, flinging a deep throw into the endzone. As the frisbee floated, the blur of Veronica S. streaked beneath it, corralling it deep in the center of the endzone to knot the score at 2-2.

While another slow and methodical drive by OLM regained their lead, none of the Cougars were prepared for the lightning strike of short passes from JO to Emily A. to TF to JM for the score. The beauty of this drive was the result, not just of these four players, but also of the commitment we see each day in practice as the team scrimmages, takes risks in developing our passing, and supports the camaraderie of development through trusting one another that encapsulates teamwork.

Another diving catch from Emily enabled TCS to take their first lead of the day as she passed to TF who found JM in the endzone, putting the undermanned Owls up 4-3. Worth noting, the only reason Jonah was able to get open was because Ben N. was doing a great job maneuvering through the endzone, drawing his defender away from the action, enabling Jonah to sneak free for the score. This level of selfless play has defined the group consistently.

The back-and-forth rhythm of the game remained relentless as the sun beat down on the Madison field. Quinn C. and Simone N. continued to prowl the midfield, knocking down passes and initiating stall counts at every opportunity. 

Unfortunately, however, the heat and fatigue would begin to sap the energy and legs from the Owls. An opponent score followed by a beautiful launch from Jimmy to a sprinting Tash would be the last tie score of the game.

Two Cougar scores put them up 6-4. With the home field rules designating that halftime would not come until a team reached 7, the Owls were nearly collapsing on the field. No amount of water would support them with only two subs. Nevertheless, the resilience of the red-faced squad finally broke through as Emmy L. secured a beautiful assist to Veronica S. Emmy’s confident approach to that moment is significant in her second year on the team and serves as yet another indication that the team’s belief in one another has impacted everyone’s individual belief in themselves as well. 

Another OLM score finally brought halftime (though it came 45 minutes into the 60 minute game). For the Owls, no amount of rest would fully recover their bodies, but they were ready to attempt a comeback. This tryhard effort would ultimately fall short, however, with only a lone goal being scored on another zip across the pitch from Schmid to the energized cross country standout, TF. 

While the final score will be recorded as a 10-7 loss for the Owls, it was clear that the team truly believed in the beauty and fulfillment of trying hard, of giving it all. 

Returning to the 1,500 decisions that are made daily by teachers, I don’t know how many were made by players in the frisbee game. I’d imagine more than that. But, as a coach, the best decision we witnessed was the one made by each of our players to carry their heads high as we walked to the bus. While the pride of having fought so hard despite the heat, the size of the opponents, and the number of kids on the other team, will never show up in a box score, that was the story. That was the win. That was the memory of having showed up and tried hard alongside one another.