Another one "down"

With the season over, and playoffs right around the corner, it feels like a repeat of 03-04. Thrust into a position where a challenge like no other presents itself. The similarities between no returning members, along with a team led by a rookie, and leading a team with youth with great potential, is not too different from gray and off-white. Stepping into a position of great responsibility, a position of great expectation, and more importantly, a position of greatness from the past, the expectation was high. While many assured this challenge would be met with great confidence, reality beg to differ. Many obstacles seemed impossible to climb, many holes seemed tto deep to climb out.

Like they say, a great beginning equates to winning half the battle. But it appeared as the battle was already lost before it even started. Never had so many challenges, obstacles and detours presented itself all at once, not even the experience of taking on all 3 positions on a new team prepared oneself for something like this.

It felt like the same battle all over again. Many times the feeling of inadequacy appeared, while regrets and questions of "what ifs" surfaces left and right after-the-fact. While rest assured the many positives to this project, one is left to wonder if more can be desired. Was it simply the bar of expectation being set too high? Or was it a wrong decision to begin with?

Certainly the blame cannot be placed on one shoulder, but is the responsibility not placed on a mature individual to lead the group? Whether by example, by action, or by words, is it not the responsibility to assist and provide guidance? Why did it feel like the efforts fell onto disabled bodies, words falling into death's ear? Improvements were clear in many aspects, but left much to be desired. Disappointments came as often as controversies in the sporting world.

Is expectation of oneself too high for those he was commanded to guide and assist? Was it simply a case of expectation too high? Stepping back into their shoes, at times, it became clear reason of disappointment was the immaturity of the others. Should immaturity solely be blamed? One could argue it could simply be a case of placing too much responsibility, or having too much expectation, for those who are simply not ready, or unwilling, to accept such.

Would it be simply a case of eating more than you can chew? Was it simply taking on a task too great, assuming responsibilities that one is not yet prepared for?