(Cracking the Code with Greg Kozera - Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

This week I saw Ryan, one of my former high school soccer players for the first time in years. Ryan played at the turn of the century on our first three teams to win regional championships and go to the West Virginia State Soccer Tournament. One of those teams played Morgantown High for the state championship.

Back then, there was only one class for high school soccer. To win the state championship, a team had to beat the biggest and best in the state. Our teams then didn’t have the overall talent and skills we have today. Their lack of talent and skills was made up for by heart, hustle and positive attitude.

Ryan played the game with passion. He refused to quit. I recall a game with Cabell-Midland, a large, highly ranked AAA school. We were a small single A school. The ball was on the ground in front of the goal, and Ryan did a diving header driving the ball into the net. His head went into the goal post. The official immediately waved us onto the field. We took off running. Ryan was on the ground conscious, his face covered with mud and grass. A tooth was on the ground nearby. Blood ran out of his mouth.

Before I could say anything, Ryan spoke: “Did I score coach?”

“Yes, you scored.”

After he asked a third time, we knew he had a concussion. Ryan went to the ER. Thanks to Ryan’s goal, we won the game.

In 1999 I began teaching leadership to the seniors. When I asked, “What’s your dream,” they shocked me by responding, “Coach, we want to play for the state title!”

In the history of the school, they had won one sectional championship. Never a regional. As coaches, we thought going to the state tournament was unrealistic. The boys weren’t afraid to dream high.

They convinced me it was possible. The dream drove them to work hard. We won games against undefeated and top-ranked teams because we outworked and outhustled them. The boys didn’t quit. Against all odds, we won three regional championships and played for the state title in 1999, achieving the dream.

Ryan was a big part of those teams. The success of the teams Ryan played on helped to build the belief of those that followed.

I began coaching high school soccer to give back to the school that gave our three children a great education. Life can beat us up. Adults can forget how to dream. What I didn’t expect was those young men gave me back my ability to dream again.

Walt Disney said, “If you can dream it you can do it.” In my experience, it’s true. I have seen young men do what some say is impossible. In 2009, we won our first of now eight West Virginia state championships.

Having a big dream and accomplishing it also applies to business. That mindset put Shale Crescent USA on the main stage at the World Petrochemical Conference in 2018 and other successes like being a finalist for the Platts Global Energy Award in 2024 and 2025 for thought leadership.

What is your dream? We need to keep dreaming no matter our age. Today, Ryan is a successful engineer in West Virginia with a family of his own. Part of his work is related to the Nucor Steel project in Mason County. Ryan chose to stay in West Virginia. Because of new economic development from abundant economical energy, there is work to keep him and others in the region to raise families.

We need to keep dreaming. Dreams give us a reason to live. They get us out of bed. Hope is the beginning. Hope is a desire for a positive outcome, combined with the expectation it might happen. Hope keeps people going in challenging times. It can exist for unlikely events.

Hope in the future gives us power in the present. Hope is essential but it isn’t a plan. It takes more than hope to achieve our dreams. We can hope to win the lottery, but if we don’t buy a ticket it won’t happen. I can hope to run a personal record half-marathon or 10K. If I don’t train, it is a wish. People want a comfortable retirement. That requires a plan or it won’t happen.

Hope, belief in the future, lights the fire. We need to believe in our dream particularly if it is a big dream (like my players do) so we will do the work to make it happen. For years I hoped to run a half-marathon. Dannielle helped me to believe it was possible by starting with running three miles, which I knew I could do, and working up to 13.1 miles. She also encouraged me with weekly check-in progress calls. It took three months of work to prepare for that first half-marathon over 17 years ago. This year, I ran half-marathon No. 48 with Dannielle. Hope became belief that led to action that led to the achievement of the dream.

What do you want to accomplish in 2026? Hope in the future can give you the power in the present to have a big dream and believe the dream is possible. Do the work, whatever it takes to make it happen.

The Shale Crescent USA organization started with the hope of creating a global awareness of the benefits to manufacturers of locating in our region (Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia) and creating jobs. Eight years later, companies around the world are considering or have located in the Shale Crescent region because of its location in the center of the world’s largest market with abundant economical energy and a great workforce.

What is your dream? Do you believe? Are you ready to do the work? My wish for you is to have people in your life like our daughter Dannielle or Ryan, and his teammates who keep you dreaming. All things are possible.

Make it a great 2026!

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Greg Kozera, gkozera@shalecrescentusa.com, is the director of marketing for Shale Crescent USA. He is a professional engineer with a masters in environmental engineering and over 40 years of experience in the energy industry. Greg is a leadership expert, high school soccer coach, professional speaker, author of four books and many published articles.