Desperate plea answered by unqualified coaches for this NJ sport

An open question for all my fellow New Jersey parents out there who have kids in school. And if you're kids have already graduated, have you done this before?

Before I get into it, this story has nothing to do with politics or school taxes whatsoever. It's more about helping out in what may appear to be desperate times for a particular school program.

As a parent, would you ever volunteer for something to help your kid(s) out, despite not being qualified at all with the task at hand? Or, have you done that in the past? Feel free to leave a comment.

I ask this question because that's exactly what my wife and I are about to do. We're about to become two of the newest head coaches for our school region's fall soccer program.

Now, why would we do this? And why would that even be smart to do?

Well to answer that, we first need to back up as to why we're even taking this on in the first place. I mean, it would make no sense in the first place if our kids didn't have an interest in the sport we were about to coach.

Fortunately, one of our sons does. Every fall since grade school started, our one son wanted to play soccer.

At first, it was very basic. Just learn to kick the ball, know where to go, and just have fun.

And each year it has gotten a bit more detailed. Last year, for example, was the closest to a more finely tuned-game. Still not perfect since the kids were young, but definitely advanced enough to start understanding what exactly to do.

Now we're getting ready for third grade. And from what we're told, we're right in that zone where kids really start to grasp the sport if they haven't yet.

So what a perfect time to volunteer to coach in something we've never done before. Sounds like a winning decision, right?

Well, I'm hoping it is. The reason my wife and I both signed up to be head coaches in a sport we've never done before is simple: The organization really needs the help.

In fact, I'm not sure if they would have enough coaches without us jumping in to assist. Yes, they really seemed that short-handed for volunteers with this year's games.

Part of me isn't surprised. Last year I remember there were fewer teams than in the past due in part because of what seemed to be a similar reason.

So that's why we're doing it. But is it a smart decision? As crazy as this sounds, I'd say yes, and here's why.

I'd rather take a crash course to learn something I've never done before to ensure the kids can play a game they really enjoy. Especially at that age when they're starting to figure out what sports really interest them.

The good news for me at least is that I'm no stranger to coaching others. In fact, I've held a good portion of positions throughout my career where I work with teaching others.

I haven't, however, ever coached kids in a sport. But hey, there's a first time for everything I suppose.

As long as we stay one lesson ahead of the kids, we should be good, right? At least, that's what I'm hoping.

But I'm determined to make this a rewarding experience for both my wife and me and all the kids. I'm just happy I'm able to volunteer and play a part in helping keep this program going despite having no experience coaching soccer in the first place.

Still, though, I have no idea how this will go, but I'll certainly let you know at the conclusion of soccer season. For now, I just hope we can pull this off.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 Sunday morning host Mike Brant. Any opinions expressed are his own.