Big Girls Don't Cry

But soccer players do. There is no crying in baseball, but in girls’ soccer – there is.

Yesterday was my birthday and to celebrate we headed to the soccer fields. I’ll be honest; I’ve had worse things to do on my birthday.

We live in a small soccer community and the more a team progresses the smaller it gets. So inevitably, MyGirl’s team plays a lot of the same teams over and over again – which in turn means, the girls on MyGirl’s team know the players on the other team.

What’s funny is how much they know about their opponents. They know their numbers, their names and even their favorite ball moves. They know some of them so well they have even come up with nicknames for some of them.

Sometimes the nicknames are mean – so mean that MyGirl has been instructed to only use those nicknames in the car with the doors closed and the windows rolled up. (Most of the time – they are funny and usually a little true… I probably should have said that in the car.)

Anyway, one of the teams they played yesterday has a girl on it that cries EVERY TIME we play them. It’s maddening. The girl falls down (maybe with some help from one of our players, maybe not), stays on the ground, sobs for what seems like 10 minutes and then brushes herself off and continues to play. The whole time, her teams’ parents are commenting on the foul that should be called.

Well yesterday, her own teammate took her out. And amazingly – no comments from the parents on the roughness of play – interesting, isnt’ it? She cried for a while and end up staying in the game. (This is when you ask yourself, "How hurt was she really?")

When we got in the car, I asked MyGirl what she thought about that. She said that when it happened she couldn’t help herself and said aloud (in her most sarcastic voice), “Well, THAT was bound to happen.”

That said, MyGirl shed a few tears yesterday too. She was put in a position that she rarely plays and her coach was yelling at her – not in a harsh way, but definitely on her case. Her tears were out of frustration and I saw it coming. But she sucked it up and did the best she could. Usually, after tears of frustration comes what I refer to as “crazy eyes.” She gets this look on her face like she is going to hurt someone. It’s bad. Well – she didn’t get “crazy eyes” yesterday, which to me means mental progress.

She did, however, get the prettiest goal I have seen her get in awhile, although she won’t take (and doesn’t deserve) all the credit. All-StarGirl had a beautiful penalty kick, which landed right on MyGirl’s head and from there – it darted past the goalie's hands into the goal. (Totally YouTube Worthy!)

MyGirl said, “All-StarGirl should get the goal because all I did was close my eyes and turn my head toward the goal.”

Well that maybe true, but all I can say is, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!”

Anyway - We have our first tournament of the season next weekend. And I have never seen more heartbreaking tears than at a girls soccer tournament. This is what the girls practice for. And no matter how well they play, a hard-earned loss in a tournament hurts more than most injuries suffered on the field.

So, wish good luck to MyGirl and her team this weekend because all true soccer moms (new or seasoned) know one thing…. GOOD luck is better than NO luck or BAD luck!

I personally, would like to see some tears of joy this weekend!