Adam scores a goal to prove a point
Adam is on a really really good soccer team this season. I was talking to a dad during it who has an eighth-grader on the team. He said that his son has been on a number of travel teams and is enjoying this team more than any of those because the players are really good but also better at being a team and are more supportive of each other. The boys really are such good friends and cheer each other's successes and count on each other. Even the crazy good kid (seriously--he's like a varsity player playing with boys. He can score at any given moment from any position if he decides to) passes to others and tries to make everyone equally successful. It's so fun to watch and hear.
Unfortunately, the other team was not having as much fun as our team. Adam was playing forward a lot, so he was in the midst of their defense for much of the game. They were twice his size, and he kept getting plowed into. It was the kind of take-down that's obviously meant as a take-down but isn't quite illegal. The ref started to notice and was trying to call it, but it was really a matter of physics more than illegal action. Twice the ref put up his whistle to stop action and asked Adam if he needed to stop. Adam sort of stumbled to his feet, really showing the wear, and jogged back to position. Then he had a beautiful goal off a bouncing ball in the middle of a crowd of defenders. The next sub was the last one and Steve took him out. He put all of our big kids up front even though they aren't typically offense or very skilled at offense, but they didn't get knocked down nearly as much. After the game I asked Adam about it, and he said that he heard the other team saying out loud that they were going to just tackle whoever they could, and they decided on Adam and Ryan because they were lightest. Ryan apparently was staying out of their way, though. I was rather appalled. I remember playing teams like that, but I want to believe that the world is a better place. And as a parent or coach, I'd be ashamed if I saw my kids doing that. At any rate, Adam got the last laugh.
Unfortunately, the other team was not having as much fun as our team. Adam was playing forward a lot, so he was in the midst of their defense for much of the game. They were twice his size, and he kept getting plowed into. It was the kind of take-down that's obviously meant as a take-down but isn't quite illegal. The ref started to notice and was trying to call it, but it was really a matter of physics more than illegal action. Twice the ref put up his whistle to stop action and asked Adam if he needed to stop. Adam sort of stumbled to his feet, really showing the wear, and jogged back to position. Then he had a beautiful goal off a bouncing ball in the middle of a crowd of defenders. The next sub was the last one and Steve took him out. He put all of our big kids up front even though they aren't typically offense or very skilled at offense, but they didn't get knocked down nearly as much. After the game I asked Adam about it, and he said that he heard the other team saying out loud that they were going to just tackle whoever they could, and they decided on Adam and Ryan because they were lightest. Ryan apparently was staying out of their way, though. I was rather appalled. I remember playing teams like that, but I want to believe that the world is a better place. And as a parent or coach, I'd be ashamed if I saw my kids doing that. At any rate, Adam got the last laugh.