My oldest son, 6, plays on a soccer team. The team has maintained its core players for several season now, and I must admit, (somewhat) humbly that they do very well. I am so proud of my son's dedication, progress and talent.
A few weeks ago he, along with his teams core players and a few others from opposing teams in his league, was invited to participate in a soccer tournament. Evidently they were short one team in his age group and the tournament coordinator also owns and operates the league my son is in. So he asked several of the top players if they'd be willing to jump in and join the tournament.
I don't even know where to begin with all this because it was such a whirlwind of a weekend. First of all our newly formed team had time for only one practice together prior to the tournament. Secondly, this league operated under several different rules and regulations than our league does, which we learned on the field during the games. Thirdly, the boys we played against were actually a year older than our boys. And fourthly, the icing on the cake, the teams we were facing on the field were ranked as the best in the state. We were literally out of our league.
Our team looked like the Bad News Bears out there, only we didn't experience some miraculous win in the end. In fact, we didn't win at all, not one single game.
Now, our boys are used to winning. We as parents are used to them winning. My son's team consistently beats everybody in our own league.
There were definitely some lessons learned over the weekend. Here is what I took away from the experience:
Our boys had THE BEST attitudes I have ever seen! They got the snot beat out of them over and over and over, yet there was zero complaining. Those little guys played their hearts out. They learned the new rules as the game progressed and adjusted accordingly. They never gave up or slowed down. They already play hard every week but this time they pushed themselves even harder and got noticeably better in just two days! And they had fun! They loved it! They knew they were getting killed, they knew they sucked compared to the other teams but they didn't care. They were thrilled to be there and soaked it up as a learning experience. These are 6 yr olds and this is how they were describing the tournament to us!
I am super competitive and it was very difficult for me to watch my boy getting beat, repeatedly. I like to win and I like for him to shine. But this time it was different. I had to take a step back (sometimes literally as I wanted to rush the field and choke the ref or the other teams coach!), and cheer for my son's effort. I saw him through different eyes, not as the shining star, but as one struggling but trying so hard, putting his everything into the game. It nearly brought tears to my eyes to witness his commitment and strength, not only his physical endurance, but his mental strength as well. He was a star! Every single player on our team was a star. I cheered for them so loudly because of the fierce fight they put up, game after game, and for their amazing and outstanding attitudes. In my book, they were all super winners!
I learned how to better handle myself from watching these kids. I was humbled by their outlook. They set an example of excellence for every single person present at that tournament.
I actually took this lesson to heart and put it into practice with my own little soccer team that I coach. I remember to learn from every experience and to find joy in every game, regardless of the scoreboard or the mistakes made. My team puts their all into every game and I let them know how extremely proud I am of them all after every game.
Now I just need to remember to tell myself this when I'm the one playing the game!! :)
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