Soccer Season 2010 comes to an end…

Last years soccer season was nothing really to write home about, don’t get me wrong, the team did fantastically; they actually won every single game. So you’d think, wow Max must have had the best year ever… not the case, Max had his worst year in soccer, and all due to “Coach Mike”. Mike is a very hard-core coach, what we call a competition coach. He’s in it to win it, and that’s it. It’s an ego thing for him, and anybody who isn’t the best 11 on the field suffers for it. He’s got a set of rules for the parents as well as the players, its out of control. Needless to say at the end of the season, we were all glad it was over.

As this year’s season approached, we were all anticipating the team assignments, and before they were even sent out, I got a call from Coach Mike. He wanted to know why I did NOT ask to be moved off of his team. I told him that Max was not a quitter, Max would deal with anything he was dealt, he has learned to persevere through obstacles, and make the best of it. Mike said it was admirable, but that he didn’t want Max on his team and he was going to ask for a transfer. He said he felt Max did not respect his coaching style and liked to have fun more than be disciplined. And I reminded him that this league was a Recreation league, and if Max was in it for the competition, he would have sign up for the Comp League, and Mike said, you cant just play soccer for fun. UGH, so I said, do what you need to do.

Weeks later I received a call from Coach Russ, might I call him a “breath of fresh air” he was all about the boys, he didn’t understand the reason behind what happened, but he welcomed Max to his team.

Max was apprehensive of going off to the first practice, but it took only that one day for him to remember how much he loved soccer! Wow, we all noticed a difference in him.

The soccer season was a great one, we all had so much fun watching the boys enjoy playing every game, and the coach letting the boys play the game, not calling every play by-play from the sidelines. All the parent loved calling out their son’s name from the side lines…”Good Job Max” unlike the previous season where Mike was the only one who got to speak.

Coach Russ taught the boys how to hold their heads up high as long as they did their best, we had some wins, losses and ties, it was an awesome season, a season that ended yesterday, with the last game. It was a cold Saturday morning (34 degrees!) and threatening rain/snow… but we were ready, excited actually!

The team ready to rock in 34 degree temperature!

This game was a slim one in players, there were only 11 boys on Max’s team, just enough for the team to play, and each one of them had to play the full 90 minutes! But at 34 degrees, at least it kept them warm. It was a well matched game… To the point that it ended in a 1-1 tie… yep a tie…. but the boys could not let it end that way and they talked to the other team and decided on a Sudden Death kickoff. I’ve never seen this done before… they pick 5 boys from each team, and 1 by 1 alternating, they try to make a goal, just against the goalie… after the 10 kicks… it was 3 to 3… another tie…. and if that wasnt enough… They said this is it… one more, who ever makes it in the goal wins…

Ugh (mind you it had started raining about 20 minutes prior… and at that point probably freezing rain) but the boys didn’t feel a thing. The kids were all chanting Max’s name… I looked at Donato, I said… “are they saying Max?” and sure enough, I pleaded with D not to cheer him on, as that would make him more nervous, so he didn’t. Remember, Max is a defense player, so goals are not his thing…. But still, he apparently was up for the challenge.

My heart was pounding because being his Mom, I was feeling his anxiety, he hates this kind of pressure… but he did it any way… he kicked the ball, and it was a perfect goal, right over the goalies head. OMG, I was so proud of Max, it was a moment he will always remember, not because he made the goal, but because all his teammates knew he could do it! What a way to end the season…

Thanks Coach Russ for giving Max the opportunity to shine!