Soccer Philosophy

Listening to my son's soccer coach coaching the boys during their game not only distracted me from the fact that the uniforms are actually gray and not "silver," but it also got me thinking.  Specifically two things he said this past game got my attention.  One, when the team scored a goal and one boy asked, "who scored?" the coach answered, "Who cared who it was?  You all scored!"  Two, when my son passed out the donuts at the end of his game in celebration of his birthday, he offered one to the coach, who said, in the same loud coaching voice he uses to encourage them during the game, "Coach JJ doesn't eat donuts!"

I, myself, along with the other mom's watching the game, had a donut, while we thought about what Coach JJ said.  Is there anything more important for boys than team sports?  Probably, but that's not the point.  I signed my kids up for soccer for the third year in a row because I feel that, besides for the exercise they get, the life lessons inherent in team sports are timeless.  These are lessons that can never be taught in a classroom (or dining room table for us homeschoolers) but have to be learned on the field.

The most obvious example is teamwork. There is no group activity in school that can compare to working together to pass the soccer ball down the field.  And the feeling of working together to get a goal is intensified by the urgency of passing the ball to a fellow teammate who has a better chance of scoring the goal, instead of trying to go for it yourself.  They learn that the glory lies in the success of your team, rather than in your personal successes.  That's what the coach was telling the boy who asked "Who scored?"  There are no individuals, there is only the team. Being a team player is a skill necessary for most jobs, and I'm happy my children are learning this lesson in soccer.

Another important lesson is that everyone has different skills.  There is defense, midfield, and offense.  Someone who is very good at kicking precisely and far will be put in offense, and this will help the team score.  Someone good at moving a ball along will be in midfield, and this will help get the ball to the offense.  Someone good at blocking will be in defense, preventing the other team from scoring.  And every one of these players is essential to the team.  Each of their different skills combine to form a winning team.  The "life lesson" here is clear.  Each member of a family, each member of society, combine their skills to form a complete world.  If we all had the same skills, we would never score.  Each child should feel confident that their skills contribute to the success of society, just as their skills on the field contributes to the success of their team.  So while Coach JJ doesn't eat donuts, I do.  But I bet he doesn't have a blog.