September 22 – “The Big Three”

We had the honors of taking Cailyn to soccer practice last night.  Any sports practice for a bunch of six-year-olds is worth the effort to attend, and this one was certainly no exception.  It took us a while to even find her team once we arrived.  The soccer complex here in Galveston is a pretty big one, and there were numerous other teams practicing and playing, so we just had to search.  We passed by the men’s teams.  Not them.  We passed by three other kids’ teams.  “Nope.  I play against them.”  We finally found them, though, and she jogged out to join the fun. 

Even though the coach seemed quite a bit unorganized, the kids seemed to be making the most of it and having some fun.  Before they started the coach asked them all what was their most favorite part of the game they just played the other day.  I heard “When I was scoring a goal” and “When we won 7 to 7.”  And then he looked at Cailyn for her answer.  She didn’t hesitate, “Break time.”  OK.  Always an important moment in any intense sporting competition.  He then asked, “What is the three most important things to remember in soccer?”  Immediately answers were flying, and he carefully acknowledged each one.  “Teamwork.”  “Passing the ball.”  “Triangles.”  Yes.  All those things are crucial to the game of soccer.  The coach thought he was ready to move on to the next question.  But no.  For Cailyn had one more answer.  One that the  coach probably mentioned in passing at an early practice.  She shook her head side to side, raised her hand politely but firmly, and stood her ground.  Finally the coach saw her and noticeably intrigued, he asked what else could be so important that it could possibly rival the “Big Three” of Teamwork, Passing, and Triangles, he called on her.  Her answer?  “Knowing everybody’s name.”  Of course.  So they went around the circle and everyone had to say each person’s name.    

The practice itself was interesting.  The coach was trying to run some basic soccer drills, and he had two dads assisting him.  They conferred before every drill as to its merits, I suppose.  They took just a little too long, though.  Every time they stopped to talk to each other, the six-year-olds found something else to do.  And once an individual kid ran the drill one time, in most cases he was done with that one.  Cailyn personified the responses of the entire group when she sat down after her turn and one of the dads asked her if she wanted to go again.  (Wait.  This is a sports practice, isn’t it?  You don’t ask.  You tell).  She answered … perhaps a bit too quickly … “Nope.”  And that was that.  Wait for the next drill.  They all did pretty well in the scrimmage time, though.  That was fun, and the coach even played for one of the teams.  Always a plus for the kids, in my experience.  Of course “my experience” has been with high school basketball players.  They always enjoyed smoking the coach.  And it wasn’t ever all that difficult against me.  It was all about building their self-esteem, of course. 

Titus 2:7 says, “In everything set them an example by doing what is good.”

Father, keep those little guys healthy and having fun as they continue their year on the soccer field.  Amen.