Wednesday, May 25, 2016

When Goals Really Don't Matter

DH has had four soccer games so far this season. Four games, four losses, losing 2-1, 5-0, 10-2, and last night, 6-0. They were out ran on offense, out ball handled on defense, no goalie, and not really a killer instinct on the team. The record is irrelevant. When you lose consistently, and lose badly, it's important to think about the reasons why  she still is playing. DH has played with most of these girls since she was 8 years old starting out as 5 year olds playing a game that should have been called cluster ball, as they just moved around the field in clusters all kicking at the ball. Outside of soccer, she is really only good friends with one team mate, the rest in pairs,trios, and quartets of other social circles. As a team though, they have each others back. On goal four, with only a minute left in the half, all you heard was "nice try", and "let's get that one back." Winning once in a while is fun. Scoring goals is fun. However, the day I stop supporting my kid playing sports is the day when winning becomes the end goal. I'd rather she continues to hone her skills working along side a diversity of kids, but with sharing a commonality of the team. Ultimately being on this team will teach her more life skills than an undefeated season. I'd be OK though if maybe, just maybe, they  got a lesson or two out of a win as well.



6 comments:

  1. I played for years. It always makes me happy to hear about girls playing. Its a tough sport. The accomplishment is in playing not winning or losing.

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    1. I played in high school as well until a dislocated hip knocked me out of commission.I notice all other teams are significantly more physical and aggressive. They all seem to have hockey players and we have runners and dancers.

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  2. Being on a team matters a heck of a lot more than scoring goals. I am sure she will remember being on this team and the fun they had for years and years to come.

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    1. "We lose with dignity" was their team motto a couple years back. They sure do, and we get positive comments from the refs and opposing parents about their good attitude.

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  3. I will agree that learning trumps winning, but it is still nice to win occasionally.

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    Replies
    1. Losing by 5 goals is a test to their resiliency.

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