Soccer Is Not For Christmas, It's For Life

Have you ever seen those parents at Soccer who don’t speak to each other? They’re not fighting or anything, they’re just sad and grumpy.

What about at the movies?

You’re in line to see a show and there are hundreds of teenagers who look like they’ve made boredom and wasting time their life’s work.

Are you like that?

Are you bored, numb and perhaps even cynical?

Let me paint a picture. Do you remember your first training session? Do you remember your first goal? How about your first visit to the movies?

What do you remember?

Could it be excitement? Excitement that strong that it could shatter even the thickest of glass. What about hopes and dreams? Barcelona wasn’t a dream but just a matter of time.

We had not learnt that hope could set us up for the biggest of falls. After years and years of disappointment, confusion and fear comes a profound and fundamental human hope that maybe something nice will happen today.

Will the stars align and bring you luck? Who knows?

Soccer players consciously know there is no magic wand or pill, but they continue to hope for the latest gimmick to buy. Remember, players enter into situations with hope.

“I hope I make the cut”

“I hope I get signed up”

So what’s the point?

Inside every player is a little child, hoping beyond hope that their father will buy Nike or Adidas, instead of Dunlop.

Inside every player is the rebel teenager thinking that maybe, just maybe, this new pair of boots will make me a Superstar.

Inside every soccer mum is a veteran housewife whose husband hasn’t given her anything romantic for the last 3 decades, but still takes her child to training and dares to believe that maybe one day her child will grace the biggest stadiums in the world.

Inside every coach is the best player in the world that didn’t make it.

Inside every father is the treasurer, dreaming of the big payout with calculator in hand. The older he gets, the better he was.

The only thing I really hope to accomplish with this post is this, if you feel scared, shitty or even betrayed, you’re not alone. If you feel like nobody on the soccer field understands what you’re going through, you’re not the first and you definitely will not be the last.

But never lose hope!

This is for all the parents reading this, if your boss asks you to do something you probably wouldn’t respond with, “not today, I’m tired.”

Would you?

Next time your child asks you to play soccer, stop making excuses. Grab the car keys and together, begin your journey to the field of dreams.

Remember hope never leaves you, you abandon it. With Christmas just around the corner, it’s the best gift you could give a child.

Hope you have a merry Christmas.

“May the winds of destiny blow you to the stars.”