Lessons from a 14-year-old!

My daughter LOVES soccer, and she’s good at it too. So much so that when she was in 6th grade she asked to join a club team so that she could improve and play year-round.

Her first year in the program was great. She improved and she loved the coach and the girls. However, in year two, some of her favorite players left, the coach moved to a different team within the club (without letting the girls know) and the club’s leadership team began accepting players who were at a lesser caliber of play. 

But she’s loyal & determined, so she stuck with the team hoping to make a change and focus on the hope of improvement. Moving into year four it became painfully obvious that the culture of the team was no longer a fit, so she made the very difficult decision to try out for other teams despite the pull of her loyalty to the team.

After careful consideration and listing out the pros and cons of multiple teams, including her current team, she made the decision to make a move.

Now here’s what’s interesting….she didn’t choose the team with the best record, the “best” players, the most sought-after coach or with the most experience. In fact, it’s a team that is unknown because they are only a year in existence. She chose the team because it felt right, it was a culture fit, and had the potential to be great.

Less than a year in, her play has leveled up more than the 3 years on team #1. The girls are having fun, respecting, loving, and challenging each other. They have an invested coach who communicates well and believes in them. As a result, this team is winning Championships and surprising some of the more seasoned clubs around them.

Take a lesson from this 14-year-old. If you are in a place that no longer feels right, whether it’s your career, your company, or any situation you’re in, make a change! Be brave, courageous, and adventuresome! Investigate your options, find what feels right and MAKE A CHANGE! Your success, your growth, and likely your happiness depend on it.