After a year without school sports, kids were so anxious to join the first, (at least in a long time), 5th/6th grade boys soccer team at Disney Magnet School. No one had the heart to make cuts, so twenty kids made the team, many of which had never played soccer or been on a team before.
Needless to say, the first few practices were a little rough, but what all the kids brought to the team was a whole heck of a lot of heart. Thanks to an excellent coach, my husband, and the tutelage of the more experienced players, we spectators watched week after week as this team grew stronger in both play and friendship. In fact, they even landed in the playoffs, having lost only twice to the same undefeated team.
The semi-final game was played on an icy-cold November evening. After winning, we parents congratulated the opposing team's parents for not having to have to come back the next day and sit in the freezing cold again. The kids never seemed to complain though - they were going to the finals!
The next day they would face strong winds, and their toughest competition.
The opposing team scored three goals fairly quickly in the first half. The Disney team was pretty deflated at half-time, unable to get a shot off. As my son reports, the coach, (his dad), gave an over-the-top, "straight from a movie", pep talk that would have been pure cringe to an older team, but the 5th and 6th graders responded with an equally, movie worthy, performance. They scored their first goal with about 15 minutes left in the game. Those of us on the sidelines were just relieved it wouldn't be a shut-out. When one of the key players got injured, I personally thought the game was over. A parent arrived and announced that there were two minutes left, and almost simultaneously the second goal was scored! The aforementioned injured player returned to the game and the sidelines were in a frenzy. There was a scramble in front of the net as everyone who touched the ball had one objective - "Take the shot!" I'm not sure anyone knows who actually scored that third, tying, goal, but that's the stuff legends are made of.
The team then had to survive two overtime periods against a highly motivated opposition. Fortunately, the game momentum was on their side, and their rookie goalie was on fire. The absence of a goal on either side, led to a shoot-out. Shoot-outs are the worst! Our first two shooters scored, while the opposing team missed one. Then, despite my own son's furious head shaking, the coach, (again my husband/his dad), had him take the third shot. Though I could feel more of my hair turn grey at that moment, he scored. Our goalie saved the next shot, and then our final shooter made the winning shot!
Afterwards, celebratory mayhem! The crowds rushed the field like it were the Superbowl. And why not! What are the chances they'll have a game like that again in their lives? It's certainly not to be taken for granted.
These kids, many without experience, or even much human contact the past two years, took a risk and came together as a team. We've all worried about our kids and how they would be impacted by the pandemic - what the isolation would do to them. I know this was just a 5th/6th grade soccer game, but as we watched those kids run around and hug each other in celebration, the victory took on a greater meaning. Our kids weren't just winners. Our kids, (yours and mine), are survivors!
If you have a sports story to share, please email us at debraf@macaronikid.com We'd love to hear it!
