After school hours, Donavan Brendler volunteers by helping coach the boys junior varsity soccer team at Madison East High School.
Brendler has been able to pass on his soccer wisdom to the players and learn from them in return while fostering a positive, open-minded environment.
Brendler got his start coaching after finding extra time in his schedule and expressing interest to Madison East’s head coach.
“It's fun to go out. You get to participate a little bit and build these relationships with the kids,” he said.
Brendler feels he has certainly built these relationships, both as a coach and a mentor.
For Brendler, coaching is a way to recreate the support he felt as a student athlete for dozens, if not hundreds, of boys who play soccer at Madison East.
His face lit up as he recalled playing at Madison College and his favorite coach, Cory Sims, who he admired for their patient guidance.
“Instead of telling me exactly how to do something, he said, ‘Can you get the ball in that area? However you want to do it, whatever skills you have, can you do that?’ And if I can't, what are some ways to do that?” Brendler said.
Brendler is trying to keep that same mindset, meeting each kid where they are at and guiding them to progress while avoiding harsh criticism or burdensome pressure.
He believes offering feedback and suggestions to his players is more constructive than commanding them what to do.
“It’s more important than me forcing my way, or how I play, or how I think the game should be played,” Brendler said.
Brendler learns from his players in return.He understands there are things happening in each of these players’ lives aside from soccer and seeks to be “patient, to give some empathy, some grace” while creating an environment where practice can be an escape, even when players are upset or frustrated during practice.
Brendler’s holistic coaching style allows him to know each individual on his team and serve as a guide for them.
He has coached many different players but Brendler recalls his work paying off when coaching a player who had little experience. The player improved significantly by the end of the season, which Brendler attributes to his hard work and willingness to learn. He explains that they talked a lot about what to do in different game situations and that “those conversations paid off little by little.”
More than anything, volunteer coaching is Brendler’s way to give back, and he aspires to make the same positive impact on his players that his favorite coaches gave to him.
“It’s about doing the good things that I’ve learned from my coaches and not doing the bad things that I've experienced from other coaches,” he said.
