No one, in the history of sports, EVER said that being a goalie was easy. No one. So when this kid told me he wanted to be a goalie when he was in 2nd grade, I have to admit, I had my doubts. He had just turned 8 years old and said that he wanted his own equipment and that he couldn't see himself playing any other position. Five years later, he's still going strong. At least he was, until he was sidelined with a broken thumb 3 months ago. After 8 weeks, he finally picked up his stick again and started to practice with the team. But this injury crushed his confidence. Today was his first game back and his nerves were obvious to everyone. I'm not gonna lie, it was hard to watch. This was not the same kid that stood tall in the goal at the beginning of summer. Heartbreaking. Before game 2, though, he asked me for a pep-talk. He knew his head wasn't in the game. But then when the whistle blew, he looked like a different kid...I saw a spark again.
"Oh, no, I see a spider web, it's tangled up with me. And I lost my head; The thought of all the stupid things I'd said." -Coldplay
We were in pursuit of a victory this weekend, but only won 1 set out of 6. Better luck next year.
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