Almost made a goal

Have you ever wanted to coach a soccer team of 6 year old boys? I can't say it was on my top 10 list of "must do" activities. But I'll tell you what - it's been a breath of fresh air. I'm learning something new - got myself a two DVD set of "The Novice Coach." I'm getting a little more activity in life - playing freeze tag with a bunch of 6 year olds while dribbling a soccer ball is not on my normal daily list. I'm getting to know some really great new families. I enjoy practice and seeing the kids catch on to new skills.

But all of that pales in comparison to the exhuberance of a six year old boy who has just blocked a goal - albeit only because he happened to be standing in the right spot and the ball hit his knees - the face of a kid who made a great shot, or the smile of a boy who shines when praised. These kids have an attitude about life that I would love to reflect. They are happy, hard working, unassuming, treasures!

The comment of my son Titus sums up the experience. In our last game we got killed by a 6 year old all-star team. Seriously, these mini-stars in the making could beat a team twice their size. They beat us at least 15-0 (but who's keeping score) and we never got closer than 10 feet to our goal. At the end of the game I asked my son Titus what his favorite part of the game was. He said, "When I almost made a goal." Keeping a straight face and thinking fast, I racked my brain to figure out what in the world he could possibly be talking about - he was never personally within range of the goal. He said, "When I was going down the field. . . but someone stole the ball from me." Seriously, he had turned his body toward the goal and taken three running kicks when one of the mini-stars zoomed in, deftly took the ball, and sent it flying in the opposite direction. But in the mind of my treasure-of-a-6-year-old, it was the play where he "almost made a goal." No defeat, just a near miss.

What I would give to see my challenges and failures that way. I hope someday I can grow up enough to see my mistakes and ineptitudes, and times when others are so much better, thinner, smarter. . . as the time that I "almost made a goal."

I love the way kids look at life!