Trares
A soccer player is blooming right before our eyes.
Not a star, mind you; that’s not important to me. But rather, someone who has a love for the sport.
Anthony started his second season a few weeks ago. He’d been asking for us to sign him up for months, and whenever he could get outside, was kicking the ball around the backyard.
That’s a big departure from his first year, when he had trepidation about playing and, at first, didn’t want anything to do with it. He didn’t know anyone on his team. Even after a few practices and games, he was nervous and tentative.
He had never played the game before, and didn’t have many of the skills needed to be successful. Passing, dribbling and other aspects of the sport, he was seeing for the first time.
But with each practice, he worked a little harder and got the hang of it. I think it helped that I was one of the coaches — if he had a question, he knew he could ask me without being shy.
And as the year went on, his confidence grew. Anthony was more engaged, chasing after the ball and giving it a good kick toward his team’s goal in games. He didn’t score any goals himself, but he set up his teammates and celebrated with them when they did well.
Most importantly, he became better at losing. Sure, he was disappointed when his teammates gave up a goal. But in the past, when he had a hard time dealing with those emotions, he just ran back to his spot and worked to get that point back.
He had fun, and it showed.
His interest in soccer carried over throughout the “offseason.” Some of his good friends in school loved the game too, and they’d play at recess. Anthony repeatedly challenged me to one-on-one games in the backyard, insisting, “Go hard on me, even if I don’t win.” I did, even if I maybe let him score a goal or two, just to even things up.
As the first practice of the season approached, he grew more and more excited — trying on his cleats, getting his shin guards ready, even laying out his practice uniform.
On a sunny April evening, Anthony took the field with a smile on his face. He raced around in warm-ups, kicking the ball with more confidence than ever before. He interacted with his other teammates, most of whom he was meeting for the first time, and played hard during drills.
Our first real game is today. Anthony keeps looking at his purple jersey and matching socks, asking over and over when the game actually is. He’s been amped up all week.
I hope this year is as enjoyable as last season, and that he only grows as a player and competitor. Who knows if he’ll want to play for a third year; Anthony has a lot of different interests, from art to birdwatching to, of course, video games. Maybe he’ll want to try something new next spring.
If this is the end of his soccer journey, that’s OK. But as I watch a little boy constantly kicking the ball around the yard, the field, even the house, I have a feeling this might just be the start.
Ryan Trares is a senior reporter and columnist for the Daily Journal. Send comments to [email protected].
