How This Boy Got Back In His Game

Recently, I was hanging with family members watching their 8-year old’s Saturday morning soccer game.
From my non-athletic abilities I thought he was doing very well. And he was. When he was put in a
position he knew how to play and was strong at. He moved. He made contact. He passed. He had
breakaways. His confidence was reverberating all the way over to the sidelines. Then he got a position
change. And everything changed. He moved. He made very little contact. He chased the players, the ball
and himself around to no success. And he knew it. Line change, and he bolted back to the bench relieved
to be off the field.

On the car ride home his performance was the topic of conversation. It wasn’t harsh. It was almost as if
his parents realized this little guy felt awful and that maybe talking about it would help.

Tenderly, the parents started a supportive conversation. The boy, however, responded with “yups” and “I
don’t knows” from behind his tablet. Yeah, the tablet is a toy at that age and he was certainly delighted to
pick up playing where he left off before soccer started. But it was the emptiness of his answers that struck
me. There was no confidence in them and a whole lot of “this doesn’t feel good” emotion.

My motherly heart was breaking. My non-athletic self was sympathizing. My coaching self had to speak
up.

“Do you know how to play the position mom and dad are talking about”, I asked him?

Without looking up, he said nothing, quickly shook his head no and kept busy with his tablet.

“Well, geez, that’s an easy fix” I gleaned like I just scored the winning goal (hey, maybe I am athletic!).

I turned to the mom, who’d played soccer from youth to high school, and who’d coached youth soccer,
and said, “Um, weren’t you a youth soccer coach? And didn’t you play soccer for years?”

Affirmative bobble head.

“Okay, so, like, maybe sometime before the next soccer game you and dad can go out in the yard and
teach him how to play this position. Once he learns how to play it, I’m sure he will play and feel a whole
lot better.”

Agreeing bobble nods.

I turned to the young boy and said, “How does that sound? Do you think that would help if mom and dad
showed you how to play this position and practiced with you in the yard?”

Now he was bobbling. Affirmatively. And he had a twinkle in his eyes and a slight crack of a smile. He
wasn’t rockin’ the confidence just yet, but he was glowing with hope.

When you’re on the soccer field of your life and things aren’t going well, go back to your game plan and
see where you need a little more practice to get clear on things and get back in your game.