Lineups, Losses, and Unexpected Leadership

I was supposed to be the assistant.

That was the plan. Help out here and there. Show up when I could. Keep things light since my schedule was already full.

But when the head coach didn’t show up, I ended up with the whistle. When I say ‘didn’t show up,’ I mean the coach never showed up at all.

Suddenly, I was in charge of a 9U flag football team in a competitive 7-on-7 league. This was our association’s first time having a flag football team. Other teams came with the flashy gear, printed playbooks, and kids with a ton of experience. We came with some willingness to play, excitement for the game, and a mix of whoever could make it to practice that week.

We started slow. Real slow. We lost a lot. Practices were inconsistent. Attendance was unpredictable. I wasn’t even sure if the kids remembered the few plays we managed to run in practice.

Still, we made the playoffs. Not because we had a winning record but because every team made the bracket.

I didn’t expect much. The kids didn’t either. Then, we won the first game. Then, another. Then, we won a close semifinal game that ended 7–6. The same group that struggled to line up correctly in Week 2 was now playing like a real team. Focused. Energized. Connected. They believed.

It didn’t make sense on paper. We hadn’t practiced enough. We hadn’t won much. But somehow, things clicked. The effort started to match the energy. The sideline got louder. The plays got tighter. It was like the team decided, all at once, that they still had something to prove—even if no one else expected it.

We ultimately lost the championship by one point in the final minutes, but the experience offered more than a trophy could provide. It gave me a fresh reminder of what real leadership looks like. And if you’ve worked in the nonprofit world, you’ll recognize these lessons too.

Sometimes leadership chooses you
You don’t always have time. You might not feel ready. But when no one else steps up, and people are depending on you, you show up. That’s leadership.

Show up for who shows up
Some days we had a full squad. Other days, maybe three or four. But we still ran practice. We kept going. In your organization, you may not always have the full team or ideal conditions. You keep building anyway.

Culture built in chaos

It wasn’t a perfect season, but it became a meaningful one. The team started lifting each other up, cheering for good plays, and learning how to move as one. That didn’t come from a big speech or planned moment. It came from shared experience. Through the chaos, not in spite of it.

Progress doesn’t always look like success

We had more losses than wins, but each one taught us something. About effort. About focus. About staying in it when you’re behind. Just like in nonprofit work, growth isn’t always visible in the moment.

Small wins build momentum

That first playoff win changed everything. The belief kicked in. You could feel the difference. One good moment can spark another. A small breakthrough in your work can do the same. Let it carry you.

You don’t need to be perfect to lead

I made bad calls. Got lineups wrong. Called timeouts too early or too often. But I showed up, and so did the kids. Leadership isn’t about having it all together. It’s about being there, being real, and doing your best with what you have.

I didn’t plan to lead this team. But sometimes the plan doesn’t matter as much as the response. Leadership shows up in unexpected places. In the middle of a busy schedule. On a field full of distractions. In the middle of losses. In a team that looked like it had no shot.

It shows up when you do.