Biggest thrill I ever got out of coaching juniors was seeing a shy 7 year old lad I had to coax out from under the drivers seat of his mums car at his first ever training session (this took me 20 or so minutes - he was tiny, at first I didn't believe her he was in there and couldn't find him) turn in to one of the best players at the club over the next 8 years.
Worst moment? There have certainly been a few. Being confronted by an angry parent for placing (as an administrator) her woefully inadequate 11 year old son (who had registered late) in a 13th grade team to make up the numbers and get the team on the park. Either that or the time I forgot to put a sub on during a game (she had put her jacket on and wandered around to the far side to stand by her mum). Or trying to explain to a 13th grade team why they hadn't won Division 1 after they drew their final game having won every other game during the season - the team they drew with had been promoted up from Div 2 for the second round and were playing for double points and had won all previous games as well, the draw gave them 2 points and the championship. Boys thought that even with a draw they were comfortably ahead on goal difference. Then there was the time as Junior Club President I got a phone call on a Friday night from a junior coach asking if I could pick up the team gear as he couldn't see himself carrying on as coach for the rest of the season with no explanation, only to read in the next mornings Press he had been convicted of peadophilia on the Friday and went to prison on the Saturday. No big surprise I gave Paul Slack his start in junior football in ChCh then is it with that track record?
Best thing I was ever taught in football was a 72 year old wearing a colostomy bag telling our (his) team there was no way he was effing well starting from the bench for the third week running 6 months before he passed away from cancer.
Greatest moment I ever had as a player? Any game my parents turned up to watch, they were there when I retired 4 years ago - awesome. Love the game.
That's my aim as a coach 2nd time round. Teach the kids to love the game. Simple, eh?