What A Mom Can Learn From A First Grade Soccer Match
First grade girls’ soccer may not paint a picture of rousing athletic intensity, nor provide textbook illustrations of suave soccer techniques. But it reminds me that the game of life is not measured by numbers on a scoreboard. Rather, it is measured by our capacity to savor the joy in each moment….
The whistle announces the soccer game’s start. Eight little girls race up and down the field on happy legs. Ponytails bob. Legs tangle. Somehow the ball rolls into the goal. Moms, dads, and proud grandparents applaud as if someone has just solved the dilemma of world hunger. A rowdy fan whistles a high-pitched approval that turns every small head on the field and amplifies the smiles on each face. The coaches offer high fives. Hannah jumps up and down in celebration of her teammate’s good luck. A pair of skinny legs half-hidden beneath shin-guards burst into a cartwheel mid-field. An opponent hugs her pink-clad friend. The ball is returned to the center of the field.
The players on the sidelines pick grass, chase baby sisters and squirt one another with water bottles. Well-meaning dads remind their young athletes of the purpose at hand: “Watch the game. That’s your team out there!” Momentarily, they watch. Heads turn back to the action on the field. Smiling mouths chant playground cheers and holler happy encouragement until a moth lands on a tall blade of grass beside the water bottle and begs for a set of first-grade eyes to inspect his wings. Soccer players turn to scientists. The coach calls for a sub. The Pink Panthers on the field need relief. No one on the sideline hears the plea. The silence of the gossamer wings is deafening.
The sun sinks slowly beneath the horizon. Babies are wrapped in blankets. The water bottle wars on the sideline cease. The coaches encourage a steady finish. Little legs on the green field slow. The smiles remain. There is no nail-biting attempt at a buzzer-beater victory, just toothless first-grade grins and sing-song squeals. The final whistle blows. Night is settling near. Sixteen little girls jump up and down with satisfaction. They hug their teammates. They hug their opponents. They hug their moms and dads. First grade girls soccer reminds me to slow down and savor the journey, to drink deeply the joy of the moment and celebrate small victories along the way.
