It certainly was a learning experience for the group of girls under Melinda Nguyen's tutelage at the USA Football Select Bowl last month in Los Angeles.
The players were not the only ones who profited, though. Nguyen, who begins in her third season as flag football coach at Kansas Wesleyan this fall, says she learned as much or perhaps more than the 12 athletes in the 14-and-under age group she coached.
Girls were selected from regional talent camps during the spring and early summer or could register for the Select Bowl. The 14-under select camp served as a developmental program for the next age group.
After a difficult run in pool play and the first playoff game Thursday (0-3-1) Nguyen's team gained its stride in the bronze medal contest Friday.
"From the beginning we had great chemistry," she said of the event that was July 9-12. "The girls got along really great, really high energy, really a fun group. But when it came to games there was definitely a disconnect between my play calling versus what they were used to, maybe a little bit of a misunderstanding of what the reads were.
"So, we went back and we went over that and towards the end of the day we started really clicking, getting it together, but we just needed to finish. The next day we restarted and that's when everything just came together."
Players gathered on Tuesday, went through orientation, media day, reviewed the rules of the game and had a practice session. They practiced twice Wednesday and began play Thursday.
Nguyen is accustomed to coaching seven-on-seven competition in the college ranks but had to adjust to five-on-five in the camp. There also was the field that is roughly a quarter of the size of a collegiate field and games were drastically shorter time-wise.
And she had to get to know her team that was comprised of girls from Southern California, Las Vegas, Arizona, and Texas then determine their skill levels and capabilities in just two days.
Getting everyone on the same page did not immediately happen.
"They were some of the best players in their age group but there was a wide range of skills," she said. "A lot of it was my fault. I've coached fives before but at the adult level so I kind of forgot what are the differences are between a 14U versus an adult. I was overthinking plays that didn't work out the way that I thought."
She quickly discovered less can be more.
"You don't need a million plays, you only need a solid six to 10 plays that work really well, that they know really well," she said. "I really had to simplify because of their age and their experience and really explain things in a lot more detail than I expected.
"Trying to simplify offenses and defenses to what works is something I'm going to pull over to sevens."
Working and talking with other flag coaches in attendance was especially beneficial.
"It was just a different type of brainstorming - I describe it as a huge think tank," Nguyen said. "I loved their openness. You're with some of the best coaches in the country and they're so willing to give advice and share ideas.