Back in August, nine young boys and their families were about to walk away from their yet-to-start flag football season. Short one player and one coach, league rules disqualified the current five and six-year-old Eagles from the 2009 season. That is until Corwin Holland and his son Deuce dropped in.
You see, Holland was looking for a team for Deuce to join and decided that the Southern Maryland Youth Flag Football League was the right fit. However, when he realized that his son’s age group, the “Mites 6U” team was ineligible, he decided Deuce would be the 10th and final player needed and that he, the 35-year-old, never-before coach would take on the final coaching slot.
To be sure, Coach Holland reflected on all aspects of his new commitment: time, scheduling, the toll on his family. Fully embracing his new role and with his wife’s blessing, Coach Holland found himself at the league commissioners office applying for the remaining coaching slot needed to send the SMYFFL Eagles Mite team into the 2009 season.
Immediately Coach Holland or “Daddy Bird” as the kids call him, poured his heart and soul into the team. During pre-season practices, the novice coach found himself calling plays, encouraging sportsmanship and communication and motivating the kids to play hard through the wild rainstorms and at times, unrelenting heat that is the norm in Southern Maryland.
Finally, the season began, but things were off to a rocky start as the Eagles endured two back-to-back losses. Our Coach of the Week, and the rest of the Eagles staff did their best to lift team spirits. Right away, they began to notice just how committed the players were to improving the season writing, “Each practice and game the children were dedicated to their team and played their best”.
Hard work, enthusiasm and good coaching were all the Eagles needed to revamp. After their 0-2 start they went on an 8-game winning rampage. Coach Holland led the boys to a 3rd place season finish, which meant the Eagles would appear in the one-day, three game winner take all Super Bowl.
Coach Holland and the team that nearly faded into non-existence gave their best three game performances of the season on Super Bowl day. When the final game clock read 0:00, Coach Holland wrote that the look of excitement in the each player’s eyes was unreal. The Eagles were the 2009 “Mites” Division Super Bowl Champs.
Coach Holland and his team proved that great accomplishments can be earned when a group of individuals jump in and give it their all. What could have been an extra year on the waiting bench, turned out to be one of the greatest youth sports seasons that both the coaches and kids will remember for a lifetime.
Coach Holland thanks for putting your team first. As you know now, the rewards of positive youth sports competition are priceless. Go Eagles!
