“Appreciate what you have, because someone else is wishing for it.” ― Karon Waddell
In all my years as an athlete and a coach, the one thing I wish I could redo is my perspective. I spent so much time chasing what I lacked that I missed the chance to appreciate the gifts already around me. If you get my free This Week in Significant Coaching newsletter, you already saw this theme woven through both the recruiting and coaching tips. It felt important enough to bring here too.
Every year around Thanksgiving, I’m reminded of something we often overlook in sports: we get so wrapped up in outcomes that we forget the privilege of the journey.
We obsess over the offer.
We stress about playing time.
We worry about who’s committing where, who’s getting attention, and who’s climbing some ranking list that, unfortunately, doesn’t matter as much as we think it does.
But when you strip away the noise and step back for one honest second…
there’s a lot to be thankful for.
And that gratitude — when you actually practice it — changes the way you compete, the way you coach, and the way you experience this whole thing.
This week, I want to talk to both sides of the whistle: the recruits and the coaches.
🧡 For Recruits: Be Thankful for the Journey
If you’re a high school athlete going through the recruiting process, I know it can feel like a roller coaster.
Some days you feel seen. Other days you feel invisible.
Some days you’re on top of the world. Other days you’re wondering if any of this is worth it.
So let me remind you of a few things worth being thankful for:
1. Be thankful for your healthy body.
The fact that you can wake up, put on your shoes, and train to become a better version of yourself is something a lot of people would do anything to experience again.
Don’t take it lightly. Don’t abuse it. Don’t ignore it.
Treat your body like the opportunity it is.
2. Be thankful for your teammates.
You’re sharing the journey with people who understand your grind better than almost anyone else on the planet.
You laugh together, lose together, figure out life together, and make memories you’ll talk about long after you graduate.
There’s real value in that — more than you realize right now.
3. Be thankful for your coaches who push you.
You may not always love the correction or the expectations, but trust me on this:
coaches don’t challenge kids they don’t believe in.
If they’re pushing you, it’s because they see something in you.
Lean into that. Appreciate it. Let it sharpen you.
🔑 The Key for Recruits:
A grateful athlete competes with clearer eyes and a lighter heart.
Gratitude won’t guarantee offers — but it absolutely changes how you show up for the opportunities in front of you.
💛 For Coaches: Be Thankful for the Calling
Coaching is hard.
Let’s not pretend otherwise. There are days you pour everything into your team and still walk out of the gym wondering if any of it stuck.
But even on those days — especially on those days — it’s worth remembering something important:
Most people never get the chance to do what you do.
1. Be thankful for the privilege of leading a program.
You get to shape a group of young people during one of the most formative stretches of their lives.
You set the tone. You model the standard. You create the culture.
That’s not a job — that’s a calling.
2. Be thankful for the coaches down the hallway.
The ones you brainstorm with.
The ones you vent to.
The ones you laugh with after a long practice or a tough loss.
We don’t always pause long enough to appreciate the people who keep us sane.
3. Be thankful for the athletes — even the ones who don’t show their gratitude well.
Teenagers don’t always know how to say “thank you,” but they feel it.
They care more than they let on.
They love the game. They want to belong. They want to matter.
And sometimes — in ways you never expect — the student becomes the teacher.
🔑 The Coach’s Key:
A grateful coach naturally creates a grateful locker room.
And grateful locker rooms play harder, stay tighter, and weather storms better than any talent advantage you could recruit.
🦋 A Final Thought
Everyone in sports is chasing something — a roster spot, a better season, a stronger culture, a new opportunity, a chance to prove they belong.
But Thanksgiving reminds us to slow down long enough to recognize what’s already in front of us.
A body that can train.
A team to grow with.
Coaches who push us.
Athletes who trust us.
Colleagues who support us.
Moments that seem small… until someday they aren’t.
Gratitude doesn’t fix everything.
But it absolutely changes everything.
If you want more weekly clarity, encouragement, and recruiting insight…
I share new blogs, coaching tools, recruiting tips, and podcast episodes every week — each one designed to help families, coaches, and athletes stay grounded in what really matters.
You can find it all at CoachMattRogers.com.
