From Coach To Player

From Player To Coach

As you walk into the athletic field you instantly feel the hard turf beneath your feet and the crumb rubber molding around your shoes. You spot all the players on the Berwick Area High School team practicing movement, yet notice someone who looks a little too old to be on the team. That "too old" person is the coach of the soccer team, Coach Jose Umana. Jose has silky curls that adorn the top of his head. Adding to that he has dark brown coffee eyes that glisten when the sun is gleaming on them. They say the million dollar smile is hard to have, but Jose has it. He is often compared to Mario Lopez. Jose has a stocky build which is beneficial to his everyday life. Being a soccer coach is not all that he does, he works as a massage therapist at Oasis Bodyworks in downtown Berwick. Accomplishing all of his life  goals, engaged with his high school sweetheart, becoming a father of two children, and even becoming a homeowner in this economy, he realized he is missing one thing in his life, and that missing piece of the puzzle called life was soccer. He always had a passion for the game but he never thought that one day he would actually become a coach for the sport that has been with him for most of his life. "I grew up in the area, and grew up playing as a teenager, the passion for the sport drew me to coach. I want the sport to grow more in the area, especially being a father of two kids. I want to see where I can take it and hopefully my kids have a passion for the sport as I do," Jose remarked proudly.

Practice continued as normal, but Coach Jose decided to do something differently, he ran a big game between him and his other coaches against the players. The players began to chuckle to themselves saying "This match is gonna end quickly, you guys are past your prime," one player stated. All the coaches smiled as they knew what the players were in for. Instantly the practice game starts off hot with tons of trash talk peppered throughout the game. Each kick of the ball sounded like an explosion went right off next to you as how loud each kick was. The match continued as normal but midway Coach Jose switched off of the player mindset and went into the coaching mindset. Instead of capitalizing off each mistake the players make he tells them what they are doing wrong. That shows you what kind of coach Jose is. The match ends with a whopping score of 12-1 with the players getting a big win before their rivalry match. 

Moving towards the rivalry match against Hanover Area you walk into the stadium and instantly smell the stinging smell of Icy Hot being rubbed on each of the players legs before the big game. The sounds of soft whispers surround the field as each team is discussing their keys to victory for this game. Each player is ready to leave everything in that field for the love of the sport. Suddenly, a loud pitched whistle is heard from the middle of the field. The rivalry game between Berwick Area and Hanover Area has begun. The game started off hot, each player gunning for the ball at top speeds. As time went on the competitors were slowly boiling to their limit in being respectful. One wrong move and it will set off every player, coach, and spectator. As you know this is a rivalry game so it was expected that it was going to be set off, and it was. Number 5 from Hanover took a hard fall while trying to get control of the ball and BAM! Number 9 from Berwick Area bumped him so hard that Number 5 lost his footing on the turf and hit the dense fake earth that they were playing on. Instead of apologizing and offering his hand to help him off of the concrete like turf, he picked up the ball and threw it at Number 5 with such force it would seriously injure someone. The noise it created echoed throughout the field, For a brief couple of seconds it was silent, a calm before the storm. It has erupted into hysterics. Over all of the madness Number 9 has created, a whistle was blown, halftime is now upon us. 

In the background of the huddle a screaming match has begun in the crowds, "Ignore the crowd, ignore the players, we need to keep composure and focus to secure the win" Jose commented. The score as of that moment is 4-3 Berwick in the lead. Jose checks in with each player on how they are doing mentally and physically. Coaches usually care more about winning than the player, they seek the bragging rights, not Jose. It shows you what kind of a person he truly is. As halftime comes to an end Jose makes a call to keep   Number 9 benched. An argument erupted.

"What! Why are you benching me for it? That kid has been disrespecting me all quarter. I needed to teach him some respect." The crackly tone in his voice while yelling at his coach is not from puberty, but from the verge of tears. 

You know why I have to bench you. I understand why you did it, I used to be exactly like you and take nothing from nobody while out on this field. There is no need to be so rough on the field. I am sorry but you are going to be benched all next quarter." Jose sternly said.

His body language showed how serious he meant. Going from a big grin on his face no matter what the situation is, to a more irate look on his face, his arms were so tightly crossed in front of his chest, veins were popping out of his forearms. This is the angriest all of the players has seen him. Jose conveyed his message to his team without saying a word to them. The second quarter has begun and now this is where the hardest challenge awaits them.

Second quarter has started off with a bang. The coaches from Hanover were dead set on getting revenge on at least one of the players from Berwick. Players were rushing down midfield like a pack of water buffalos traveling down the Great Plains. Hanover was hellbent on injuring a player from Berwick. Sadly, while trying to break the defenders a competitor from Hanover struck the ball right into the nose of team captain Kevin Ayala, it landed perfectly. The ball connected to the bridge of his nose and blood was gushing down his nose like the elevator scene in The Shining. A timeout was called and Coach Jose rushed down the field as fast as he could to make sure his captain was okay.

"Mijo, are you okay, can you breathe?" Jose panickily said.

"I think so coach, it all happened so fast, I blink and the next second I have this shooting pain coming from my nose" Kevin said as gasping for air

"You are going to be okay, they are gonna go make sure you have not sustained a concussion." Jose stated firmly.

Still in timeout Jose rounded up the team and tried their best to control them before they do something they regret. "Guys look at the score it is 7-4 right now, instead of getting revenge physically, we can get revenge by winning the game" Jose excitedly said. In unison all of the players agreed to focus up and end this game as quickly as they can while not letting Hanover catch up. The game moves along normally until all the players see the time on the scoreboard. Two minutes are left on the clock. Each second ticking down brings more aggression from Hanover. From the stands parents from each side began to bicker with each other. Curse words are whizzing past all over the stands. One on goer says "What is the point of all this fighting, this is a high school soccer game" he chuckled. Focusing back on the field Berwick Area secures the win with a final score of 7-4. Each player from Berwick rushes over to Coach Jose to share the feeling of their hard fought win. While distracted two of the players grab the bright orange cooler and dump it on top of their coach celebrating like they won the Super Bowl. Jose belly laughs and shares the moment of joy with his family and his team. All of the players really admire and respect their coach. Through hardships they all know they can confide in him. Jose has impacted all of the lives of the players. From constant bickering and fighting from last year, Jose really shaped the foundation of the team and taught them how to work together as a team.

Jose stated many times before that he will continue working as a coach for Berwick Area. He wants to make a difference in his community. Roundly known in the community many people know his passion for his family and the sport he loves dearly. Jose wants to create a deep connection with the players he coaches. Jose gives life-changing advice to some of the kids on the team. A couple of players on that team have a rough home life and their only escape is playing soccer. Jose is such a caring person that he invites these kids to his home and they always have a seat at his dinner table. "Just last year I invited the whole team to my house to celebrate my birthday with my family. This team is my second family, I will do anything and everything for these kids." Jose proudly stated. Jose is a great mentor for his players and plays a very important role in all of their lives.