Let’s talk about soccer. It’s a subject that’s been in my home a lot lately, as my oldest daughter is in the league at PAL club this year. It’s her first year, and if you’ve never seen a group of 1st graders chasing a ball around a field, you’re missing out. It’s ADORABLE. I’ve been searching for a 16 terabyte memory card for my smart phone to hold all the photos and videos, but I can’t help myself, it’s just so incredibly camera worthy. But I’m not going to spend this entire blog talking about how cute those kids looked out there on the field. I was amazed at the lessons my daughter and her team mates are learning¸ and since I think we can all learn something from youth soccer, I’m going to share those lessons with you.
First of all, you can just start teaching 6 year olds to play soccer. You have to start with some pretty basic stuff. They have to learn how to kick the ball, “dribble” the ball, pass the ball and defend a goal. They have to learn how to make a goal. It’s a pretty huge endeavor when you break it down that way, just like so many of our challenges in life. And here’s what soccer can teach you…break it down into steps. Want to write a book? Start with a few pages at a time. Want to save for retirement? Start by saving 5% of each paycheck. You don’t have to climb Everest in a day!
Second, it’s all about teamwork. Nobody is an island, and we’re all in this together. My big girl is learning how to pass the ball to a team mate instead of trying to take it all the way herself. Because you win or lose as a team…whether your team is your company, your family, or your community. This is soccer, not golf, and you have to work together.
And finally, I love seeing my daughter out there, playing with her friends, having fun, and BELIEVING in herself. We can lose that self-confidence as we get older. Sometimes we replace it with a little humor, a little sarcasm, but it’s something we need to hang onto, if we can. Because we can be as great as we want to be…all it takes is determination and LOTS OF PRACTICE.
So come out and watch a game sometime this fall. It’ll be good for your heart to see all those happy little people playing and learning together. And it’s sponsored by my very favorite credit union, Afena. You just might get a chance to meet Lucky Buck, their Kid’s Club mascot. Who doesn’t love a giant dollar bill? I’m Claire, the Afena blog mom. Thanks for reading.