I Love Soccer

My family has always been bent towards basketball.

When I was a preschooler, my oldest sister was playing college ball.  In sixth grade, I traveled across  Michigan while my brother's team went all the way to the MHSAA State Finals.  If we couldn't make it to the WMCHS games, we'd all quietly lay around the living room listening to them on the radio.  I spent summers at GHHS basketball camps and played on school teams through tenth grade.

I liked basketball.

In the spring of 1981, I was introduced to soccer.  What a fun game to play!  How proud I was when I scored my first goal against a full-grown "woman" goalie in our game against Fremont Christian --never mind the fact that she hadn't recovered from a previous shot and that mine was a super wimpy kick that even a lame goalie would normally be able to stop with her weak hand.  I loved to play and I loved to watch.  I remember spending many late evenings/early mornings in 1982 watching the World Cup being played in Spain.

I loved soccer.

I have this surreal memory of being on a co-ed travel team.  I think it was the summer after 8th grade.  I remember that I bought the sweetest pair of white Puma cleats at Hoby Bell.  We had awesome long sleeved uniform shirts.  It was me, two of my girl friends, and a dozen guys.  It seems that at every tournament we played we would hear, "Hey, they brought cheerleaders!"  That was infuriating--but we were just happy to be a part of the team. 

When I think about my love of soccer in the mid 1980's, I realize that I was mostly interested in soccer because I was interested in boys who were interested in soccer.  But I did love the game and would have continued to play through high school, except that at the time there wasn't a women's soccer team at my school.  In fact, there were very few women's high school teams in the area.  My junior year,  school clubs were starting to form.  I joined our club and played in the first game against Grand Haven High School under the lights.  What an amazing experience!  But then I came down with mononucleosis and my soccer career was officially over.

Fast forward 25 years...

I have 3 kids who are bent toward soccer.

I don't know how that happened.  I'm sure it had something to do with watching their cousins play.  Maybe it's because Joel loves the physical conditioning involved and encouraged them to play.  Or, maybe it's just because soccer is that great of a sport.  I do know that my son had more soccer skills when he was 10 than I did when I was 17. And even though my girls have hung up their soccer cleats, they still love the game.

I have spent many, many more hours as a soccer spectator than as a soccer player.

Since we are in the middle of the season, I've been thinking about soccer a lot lately.  So, I thought I would share some of my thoughts on why I love soccer:

1.  Soccer is global.  It isn't just an American past time.   It takes me from my little corner of the world and speaks a common language.  Soccer allows and encourages diversity.

2.  Fall and spring are great seasons to have a reason to be outside.  I will admit that during some rainy and cold (even snowy) games, I wish I were home sipping hot chocolate instead.   But I spend my days in an office with no windows, so sitting at soccer games with no housework or errands is a beautiful reason to pause and spend time in God's beautiful world. 

3.  Although it is a physical sport and there is potential for injury, I don't watch expecting injury like I might if I were watching a football game.  Soccer is a game full of finesse, not just brute force.

4.  Soccer is continuous.  No time-outs.  No huddles.  No heats.  No innings.  No offensive/defensive line changes.  Just 80 minutes of play with a short half time. 

5.  Soccer promotes overall fitness.  It is hard to be competitive at soccer if you are out of shape.  It is a great way to glorify the Creator of our amazing bodies.

6.  Good soccer players make difficult things seem simple.  When I watch the ball skills these players have, I am amazed.  Having spent a little time with a soccer ball, I know that it is anything but simple.  It takes hours and hours of touches on the ball.  Probably thousands and thousands of hours, actually.

7.  Soccer is a team sport.  Good teams play as a team.  That seems obvious, but I've watched plenty of  soccer with 1or 2 kids that think they need to pull the weight of the whole team.  Sometimes this results in goals and wins, but it isn't that much fun to watch.  When the whole team plays together, more gets done.  It becomes a beautiful game.

8.  My kids have had the privileged of having some amazing coaches.  Some have gone beyond being mere experts on the game to exhibit a love for Christ that is passionate and sincere.  These coaches love God more than the game and inspire their teams to play to bring glory to Him.  I thank God for these great role models!

9.  It is always fun to go to a game with friends and family.

10.  Most of all, I love soccer because I love to watch the people that I love play soccer.  What a privilege it is to watch them play a game they love and use skills they have worked hard to develop.

OK, so I suppose that I would love any sport that my kids choose to play.  But for now, I'm happy to say,

I love soccer