Little Man’s soccer season ended today with a raucous win. It was a tough match and it put the team soundly at the top of their division. Afterward the players and their parents gathered around as Coach said a few kind words about each player and gave each an award. Gratitude.* Dear Coach, I couldn’t find the words to say ‘thank you’ today. You had already choked up saying farewell to a star player who won’t be back next season and whose family has been a part of our soccer community since before we joined the team. You caused all the mothers to burst into tears and many of the fathers to swallow hard. As parents we often mourn the passage of time. We do it for our children, too, even when they don’t fully understand. When one is old enough to own a few gray hairs, one knows the value of a season in a child’s life. It was a tough goodbye and I second everything that player’s mother said. I have often thought over the last few seasons that soccer is more than just a sport. These young athletes are kids, more alike than different, working together for something good. It gives me hope for the future. I wanted to thank you for teaching my son, and every son on the team, to play fair, to be good sports in winning and in losing, to think and play with intention, to try their very hardest, and to push themselves. I wanted to thank you for getting their hearts pounding, and for giving them the joy of lungs sore from extended periods of labored breath, and of muscles that they know are there even days later. Even more, I wanted to thank you for giving both of my sons a much-needed model of what fathers should be. You have shown these boys that men get choked up sometimes and that they care about others. You have fostered a community of other involved dads, a community that encourages all these many sons to become good men.
Posted on: Thu, 19 Sep 2013 13:33:19 +0000
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