A good coach is someone who:

• knows winning is wonderful but is not the triumph of Sports.

• goes to work early, misses meals, gives away weekends and plays havoc with family schedules so he or she can help out a group of youngsters.

• stays a half hour after practice and more to make sure every one of the players has a safe ride home.

• rarely has a mom or dad say, "Hey, Thanks," but receives a lot of advice on game day.

• makes sure everyone gets to play.

• knows what to do if a player gets hurt.

• teaches young people that winning is notVerdana, but still lies in bed at night staring at the ceiling wondering what he or she might have done differently to have turned a loss into a win.

• can help a child learn to take mistakes in stride.

• sometimes helps a child develop ability and confidence that sometimes did not exist before.

• knows that soccer is great, but that school is the prime endeavor in these children's' lives?

• a youngster will remember a long time after the last game has ended and the season is over.