It started well enough. On Monday (Thanksgiving), I got a fair bit of lesson-planning and volleyball planning done for the week, which was good, as the remainder of the week will make evident.
Tuesday, I found out that the coach of the senior boys' vball team, Peter, is starting a personal leave that could last a little while. So, I have adopted his team until he's back. I have lot of mixed feelings about it.
1. It made my week a bit hectic. I had an unexpected lunchtime practice to run on Tuesday and I had to run the junior and senior boys' practices simultaneously on Thursday and Friday morning - talk about frenetic.
2. I love these kids. It is a really special group. They've always been wonderful to me and to the junior boys team too.
3. It's quite an undeserved privilege to be part of their team.
4. But mostly, the responsibility has made me feel quite insecure. There are high expectations for this team. The goal is getting to OFSAA. Yes, I'm pretty knowledgeable about volleyball but I'm a rookie coach. We've all had knowledgeable profs, right? How am I going to manage the transition to a new (but possibly temporary) coach? Can I do both teams justice?
5. This insecurity is probably a good thing for me. I know that you have to stretch outside your comfort zone to grow. But does my growth come at the expense of a great bunch of kids?
This has been occupying my thoughts. That and I'm sick with worry for Peter.
Plus a good friend of mine, who shall remain nameless, is going through a rough patch that has had me reflecting on some of the tougher times in my life and in my family.
Thank goodness both volleyball teams won their matches Tuesday night. The senior game was really good. It was 16-14 in the third. York Mills' record isn't as good as ours but they definitely showed up to play. The juniors did well too. They won 2-0 and adapted well to my introducing a libero into the lineup.
Wednesday, was the toughest day of the week. I hardly slept, found out that I had messed up some paperwork with the main office, endured a seemingly endless staff meeting, had to run to make the bus for our away games, rode a school bus after the game that took us in the wrong direction to the wrong school in rush hour, and forgot my backpack (containing my lesson plans, school keys, and wallet) in the other school's gym. The boys were very sweet about my backpack. I guess I got quiet for a while after asking them to check under their seats for my bag because one player asked me if I was sad about my bag. I was a little distressed because I knew what a nuisance it was going to be. Another player asked if I was going to be able to get into my house.
Wednesday wasn't all bad though. The seniors won 2-0 and the juniors played so well against one of the best teams in the division that I keet forgetting that we didn't win, although we almost did. Also, by the time I got home (7:30) the caretakers from the other school had responded to my voice mail. They had the bag and I could come any time before ten get it. Also, Ian happened to be in town for work and we got caught up while he drove me up to the Allen and Sheppard to recover my bag, all contents entact.
On Thursday and Friday, I learned that I wasn't the only one having a tough week. A bunch of teachers at the school found this week hard despite Monday's holiday. Anyway, I made it.
Friday after work, we curled. I can't believe how well it went. Considering that this is my first year skipping and that between Ann, Steve, and Dion, they had one game of previous experience, we did extremely well. The main thing is there were few etiquette breeches and we got in 7 ends with a little time to spare. We stole one in the first and three in the second. We had four on the board so I felt relaxed the whole time. We couldn't get bagelled. We even scored one more in the seventh. The final score was 7-5.
Ian's being in town was very convenient because I got rides to and from Ottawa for my cousin Jennifer's wedding. It was a very nice wedding and I also learned that my cousin John and his wife, Sophie, are expecting in mid-May. Congratulations!
BOOKS. On the ride home from Ottawa, I read Night by Elie Wiesel. It's a short (just over 100 pages) first-had account of a Nazi concentration camp survivor. Extremely compelling. I don't know if such heavy material was the best choice but I told a student I would read it and discuss it with her tomorrow. I also told my Gr 12 Physics class that I would return some labs tomorrow but I haven't finished marking them yet. Oops.
That's it. I'm worn out. I need to sleep.
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