Though billed as a tournament, this event wasn't that in a traditional sense. These players train together this summer and have in the past. As the player list became clear, this became a development tool and a social opportunity, and less of a tournament. I talked about this to the attendees before we organized for kickoffs. These games had medals attached, but the spirit was developmental. Athens Soccer Academy used the event like a training competition.
The referee/ who is their coach/ who is the author, was coaching during the games.
Three out of the four teams were created and by design the younger U12 players played together as a unit and the older U13 boys played together as a unit. This turned to good success in Summer Soccer Series Tournament 1, when the younger U12's won the Final.
Summer Soccer Series Tournament 1
Some of those same younger players had scored early in today's semifinal, only to have the referee extend the game. They were well in control, it seemed, or so I thought, and we should give the visitors--being the one team I did not organize-- another eight minutes.
The visitors turned their game around and scored twice eliminating the now tired-looking youngsters.
Regretfully, the younger players had to accept and, by no fault of their own, they were not going on to the final. They had to sit down and watch the final. They were done for the day.
Tournament Finalists--
But there are good reasons why coaches want to structure events like this, with or without the pain, and though after today some folks were upset, Soccer is not about the result. If you want the result, or want to control the result, you are in for disappointment and pain. It is just a fact of the game.
We can control these things like we can hold onto dry sand.
When soccer is taken too seriously the fun dies because the game dies. The referee, the other team, the coach, the players on your team, all become the problem when things go wrong. And things will go wrong for teams.
These players are on the cusp of their High School careers. Soccer games are about to become important to a larger group of people. They will be in a position this fall where they will have to make the team, many of them for the first time.
They can find their glory in the game, or they can play the game of the hype after.
As athletes these boys have a chance now to experience all of the good that is in the moments in the life of a player. The being a part. The training together. The unity of a team and the universal of the game.
. Sometimes the fun gets lost in that environment, the learning can suffer, the winning is held at a premium and the game is no longer the same.
We can control these things like we can hold onto dry sand.
What we can do now is let go of them, and when we do, we need to trust that what is in place will see them through.
Today's Champions
"Would be cool if there was a youth futsal league so they could do this regularly. :)"
Next Tournament
July 12Under 12 9:00AM-- 12:00 Noon
Women's 12:00 noon--3:00PM
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