12. They’re still a freshman

A promising freshman can make a coach’s imagination work overtime. Mine certainly can.

You start thinking about where they could finish, what they could contribute, and how much better the team could be.

Meanwhile, they’re still a freshman.

I care about what happens to that athlete over the next several years. I want them building the experience, confidence, and ability to keep developing. That sometimes requires more patience than the meet schedule encourages.

I want to win with these kids. I also want to be able to look back and feel good about how we helped them get there.