A Letter to My Daughter: Why Recording Your Kid's Highlights Matters
KC Legends founder Andy Barney shares a personal letter to his daughter Holly about the power of capturing transcendent soccer moments — and why every parent should be recording their player's highlights.
I wrote this to my youngest daughter today:
Holly
During your mid to late teens you provided people in the High School, ODP, USA Futsal and college showcase crowds with elements of fantasy rarely seen elsewhere. When they watched you play they experienced transcendent skills only previously available on video highlights of the world's best players. And they saw one skill that had never previously been seen on video anywhere in the world...the Drag Maradona.
They saw how your moves would make defenders leave the stadium to get coffee!
They watched your amazing goals win many games for your team.
They understood that most of your goals involved dribbling moves and shots that no one else in your HS team could make!
When you played your high school games for Olathe West I had the opportunity to focus just on you for a whole season.
However, what became one of my best experiences in soccer nearly didn't happen.
Let's rewind to the first game of your freshman season in high school.
You made the starting varsity XI and I, for once a spectator not a coach, decided to video every one of your possessions.
Let's be clear about this...had I assumed the role of the average parent I wouldn't have filmed you.
The game was in March under lights and it was cold. Ten minutes into the project I lost feeling in my fingertips. But I kept trying, and despite my ineptitude I managed to capture a number of your highlights. Highlights that revealed a whole new world for both of us.
Until that moment I had been your "Dad" and "Coach". From then on I also became the main collaborator in creating your soccer documentary.
Despite being the youngest player on a very good high school team you played a pivotal #10 role in every game. Goals, assists and 1v1 victories flowed like wine in Napa Valley!
Many of your highlights were simply amazing by any standard.
And I loved that you were able to experience such transcendence!
It would have been so easy for me to be "just a spectator". But, had that been my choice I wouldn't have hundreds of wonderful moments to look back on and savor.
And had I just watched, I wouldn't have been able to hand my phone to you after the game for your "highlight review".
Without those recordings of you doing incredible things with a soccer ball, you wouldn't have known how amazing you were and perhaps you wouldn't have been so motivated.
I also feel I owe you and your Legends teammates an apology because I could have recruited a number of the parents on your Legends team to record your club highlights.
We all missed out on a forever treat because I wasn't aware of the motivational potential of zoning in on transcendental moments.
Unfortunately, I let you down at the crucial time when, with a little extra effort, I could have memorialized the many thousands of wonderfully creative plays you and your Legends teammates made at every age and stage of your soccer experience. I'm truly sorry I wasn't bright enough to recognize that opportunity at the time.
As I write this I realize I need to share this on Facebook so that Legends coaches, mums and dads get motivated to video our players performing amazing skills.
Love you,
❤️ Dad