One Last Game, One Final Loss
Jun. 16th, 2012 03:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thisnewdayThis morning, under clear and intensely sunny skies, my grandson played what may well be his last soccer game with the team he's been with since kindergarten. The game itself was a misery to watch. Jason scored his team's only goal, on a breakaway in the second half, and nearly scored on another, in today's 4-1 loss.
He was scoreless in the first half because the coach told him and the team's other scoring threat that they each had to play goalie for one half of the game. Which not only eliminated each of them from scoring, in the half that they were in goal, but also prevented their most reliable passing target from being downfield with them when it was their half to play offense.
I mean, it doesn't do any good to run your a$$ off getting downfield into scoring position if there's no one capable of passing to you. And you have a lot less chance of making a goal on your own, even on a decent breakaway, if there's not at least the threat of an outlet pass near the goal. It simply made no sense, especially when we had kids with limited skills, mobility, and understanding of the game who would've been quite content to be playing goalie.
That being said, I still appreciate the efforts of this coach who has been infinitely patient with both the kids and their parents for the three springs and two winters that Jason has played for him. That's a quality you can't put a price on and one that may well be missed as we move up to the next level.
I also know that Jason has come to value the friendship of those he's met, or become closer to, through playing on this team. Which is something else that's not as likely to happen when it's all about what you can do for the team instead of who you are as a person...
LPK
LiveJournal
6.16.2012
He was scoreless in the first half because the coach told him and the team's other scoring threat that they each had to play goalie for one half of the game. Which not only eliminated each of them from scoring, in the half that they were in goal, but also prevented their most reliable passing target from being downfield with them when it was their half to play offense.
I mean, it doesn't do any good to run your a$$ off getting downfield into scoring position if there's no one capable of passing to you. And you have a lot less chance of making a goal on your own, even on a decent breakaway, if there's not at least the threat of an outlet pass near the goal. It simply made no sense, especially when we had kids with limited skills, mobility, and understanding of the game who would've been quite content to be playing goalie.
That being said, I still appreciate the efforts of this coach who has been infinitely patient with both the kids and their parents for the three springs and two winters that Jason has played for him. That's a quality you can't put a price on and one that may well be missed as we move up to the next level.
I also know that Jason has come to value the friendship of those he's met, or become closer to, through playing on this team. Which is something else that's not as likely to happen when it's all about what you can do for the team instead of who you are as a person...
LPK
LiveJournal
6.16.2012
