When people talk about high school sports, the conversation usually sounds like this:
“It builds character.”
“It teaches teamwork.”
“It gets kids ready for real life.”
All of those things can be true. But Raymond Kiddy’s memoir, A Road No One Traveled – Side Effects of Coaching, goes much deeper than those familiar quotes. It forces us to ask a more sobering question:
What happens when real life shows up before the final whistle?
The Season That Changed Everything
The 2017 girls’ soccer season at Bishop Walsh wasn’t defined by wins or losses, though there were plenty of both. It was defined by a series of tragedies that no team, no teenager, and no coach could have anticipated.
First came a devastating cancer diagnosis. Then the sudden loss of a teammate’s brother. Followed by yet another funeral. These weren’t just news headlines, they were personal, close, gut-wrenching moments that hit the players one by one and left the whole team reeling.
They were just high school girls. And yet, they were dealing with the kind of pain that would shake anyone at any age.
Emotional Stamina Isn’t on the Practice Schedule
There are drills for passing. Conditioning for endurance. Strategy sessions for tough opponents.
But there’s no playbook for grief. No drill that prepares a young athlete to go from school to practice and then to a funeral home. And yet, that’s exactly what these girls did.
In his memoir, Coach Kiddy captures these moments not from the outside looking in, but from right there in the middle of it all. He doesn’t try to fix things with coaching slogans or pep talks. He sits with the discomfort, the heartbreak, and the hard silences. And what we get is a story that’s as real as it gets.
The Myth of “Toughing It Out”
We often tell young people to be “tough.”
But A Road No One Traveled shows us that true toughness looks very different. It looks like:
- Showing up even when your heart is broken
- Hugging your teammate when she can’t stop crying
- Playing through a storm that has nothing to do with the weather
Kiddy’s team didn’t need a coach who barked orders. They needed someone to stand beside them and remind them they weren’t alone. And that’s exactly what he did.
Why This Memoir Matters?
If you’ve ever worked with young people in a classroom, on a field, or at home, you need to read this book. Because A Road No One Traveled – Side Effects of Coaching reminds us of the emotional labor that often goes unseen.
These girls didn’t just grow as athletes—they grew as humans.
And so did their coach.
Read the full story behind the season that changed lives. Order your copy today at www.raykiddy.com or email Connect@raykiddy.com.
Because sometimes, the most powerful lessons aren’t about the game—they’re about life interrupting it.