Is there anything more adorable than seven year old girls playing soccer? It's the beginning of the season so this was just a practice session. But as I watched them, I can almost anticipate how the game will play out. The two daddy/coaches put them through their paces.
Already you can see the real player, aggressive and focused. There are the other good players who do not radiate that special energy. And the one little girl, flapping her arms, wriggling her body, picking up the ball to place it in a strategic spot after she had kicked it off center - despite the coach coaxing, "Kick it back into position, no hands." She had a snazzy little outfit, and a designer cut to her blonde hair. I turned around and easily found her tall, elegant, blonde mother.
Last season, I had watched the little girls play. They were only six years old then. Different team mates, different coaches. They get scrambled every season. Eight to a team, with four on the field alternating with four sitting out, so everyone gets a chance to run and kick.
After I had missed the tournament last year, I asked our player, "Who won?" And she replied with the mantra, "It's not about winning and losing. It's about having fun." They are brain-washed, I thought, do they really believe that?
Then I remembered, when it was her turn to sit out, she watched her team floundering, and said, in exasperation, "They're nothing without me." I realized she understands that winning is everything. That's my girl.
Please, no letters. I know it is politically incorrect, and they are just babies. But I think that if you get into the game, you better play to win. If you want to be on my team.
--Florence
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