This Is What They Took With Them

At our post season awards banquet, my varsity players presented me with a thank you card and gift certificate for the season.

I was moved by it — not just because of what it said, but because of what it revealed.

And I’m not going to share the actual picture or their exact words.

Because they signed their names to that card with an unstated agreement:
“Coach Kip will read this… and Coach Kip only.”

Not the whole world.

And if I’m going to stand in front of them and preach about consent — about respecting what is shared, when it’s shared, and who it’s shared with — then I have to live that.

Some things are given. Some things are not. That matters.

Anway, back to what hit me.

The card speaks to what they felt I provided them as men.

And even if part of it was them “telling me what I wanted to hear”… it still matters.

Because it shows they know what I prioritize as a coach.

They didn’t write about wins. They didn’t write about stats. They didn’t write about playing time. They wrote about being pushed to be better people. About growth. About becoming a better version of themselves.

And that’s the reflection that stuck with me:

Your players may not always live it yet…
But they know what you stand for.

They know what you emphasize.
They know what matters in your space.

The question is — if your team wrote you that card… What would it say?

Coach Prompts

• If your players wrote you a note today, what themes would show up?

• What are you consistently reinforcing — intentionally or not?

• Are your players clear on what matters most in your program?

Player Prompts

• What has your coach actually taught you beyond the game?

• When has a coach pushed you to grow as a person?

• What do you think your coach values most?