The video testimonial by a high school football coach commending a player for quitting has gone viral on social media
Kurt Hines, the head coach at Coronado High School in California, posted the short video on Twitter on Wednesday after one of his players quit the team. The video has been liked more than 28,000 times and retweeted more than 3,000 times.
Hines wasn’t ranting and raving like the classic mental image you might have of a football coach. Instead, Hines declared his respect for the unnamed player for acknowledging the truth: He wasn’t enjoying the game.
“I just had a young man come in and quit and I truly could not be happier,” Hines said. “This young man was struggling all season with making it to practice, with committing. Never looked happy. [He has] some stuff going on.”
Hines expressed his appreciation for the player turning in his “washed” uniform and equipment when he informed him he was leaving the team.
Hines shook his hand and asked the player to sit down for a minute.
“He started to explain how his family has always been a football family,” Hines said. “They’ve always loved it, my father, my brother. I stopped him and asked him, ‘Do you love it?’”
Hines said the player took a deep sigh of relief. “No,” the player said.
“I’m so proud of you,” Hines told him.
“I saw his whole countenance change. He was smiling from ear to ear,” Hines said. “I said you’re doing the right thing. Football is not for everyone. I couldn’t be happier. Coaches, support your players if they want to be great. And If they want to be great in something other than football, support them just the same.”