Tag Archives: Soccer

Family

Confidence

I admire people who are perennially self-assured. These individuals never appear to suffer from self-doubt. No matter what obstacles or hardships they encounter, they never waiver on how they will attain their goals. I am certain that these folks share commonalities that include thorough preparation, as well as a consistent, positive, mental attitude.

Success in my life, whether it be scholastic, athletic or professional, is always been supported by an unquestioned belief in myself.  Regrettably, my personal dichotomy is also true; individual failure always accompanies perplexing uncertainty. For no-good-reason, I allow negative outside forces to impact the way I perform. At times, the mental toughness necessary to withstand the rigors of life, seemingly disappears. I cannot predict why or when it will happen, but the end result is not ideal.

My oldest son is a fantastic person, student and athlete.  Beyond being a kind, empathetic kid, he works very hard to accomplish his ambitious objectives.  I appreciate his optimistic attitude, as well as his intensely competitive demeanor. Unfortunately, my son is proving to be a mere mortal, as he has been negatively impacted by outside forces. Prior to making his U.S. Development Academy soccer team, Ty’s belief in himself was never higher.  He played every game with focus and ferocity. More talented players never influenced his performance, as he was protected by an unquestioned belief in his ability to succeed. Despite selecting Ty among a sea of talented players, his current coach does not believe in him.  We are not sure when or why the coach dismissed him, but the effect has been obvious. Outside of his current erratic play, the weight of the coach’s disdain has become a burden that extends beyond the pitch.  Ty’s personality has changed to the point that the ongoing predicament has affected his spirit. He is now challenged by the need to remain confident in his skill-set despite the specter of the coach in the back of his mind.

My wife and I know that Ty will overcome this challenge, as it is simply a part of life’s vicissitudes. He will need to believe in himself without any reinforcement or adulation from the coach. The next nine months will test his mind as well has his heart. Ty needs to continue to work hard, and manufacture personal victories with minor achievements. He must separate the happenings on the soccer field from the rest of his life. We will provide Ty guidance and support, but it will be up to him to be resilient in order to withstand this unexplainable test. We have tremendous faith in his ability to navigate through this hardship and ultimately succeed.

  • “All confidence is acquired, developed.  No one is born with confidence.” – David J. Schwartz
  • “We are what we believe we are” – C.S. Lewis
  • “Confidence is the most important single factor in this game, and no matter how great your natural talent, there is only one way to obtain and sustain it: work.” – Jack Nicklaus
  • “All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence, and then success is sure.” – Mark Twain
  • “One  important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.” – Arthur Ashe
  • “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you are right.” – Henry Ford
Family

A Layman’s Perspective on Soccer

I clearly remember the day when my wife and I were told we were going to have a second son. Immediate visions of coaching two lacrosse players flashed through my mind. I was so inspired that I went out that day and purchased two Super Toss Mini Sticks.  I remember handing a stick to my two-year-old then helping him cradle the small ball. As the boys got older we introduced them to baseball, basketball and karate.  What I never anticipated was that Ty and Jesse would develop a real passion for soccer. Over the last 8 years, my family has been immersed in futbal.   We spend an inordinate amount of time in and around soccer fields.  I actually attend MLS games while regularly watching the English Premier League. Here are some phrases that I never thought I would say:

  1. “It looks like a new formation today”
  2. “What a hard touch”
  3. “Phenomenal through-ball”
  4. “What time do you need to be on the pitch”
  5. “He executed a perfect overlap”
  6. “That goal was upper 90”
  7. “We lost on the scoreboard, but we out-possessed them”

While I admit to my new affection for the game, I still struggle embracing certain parts of the sport.

  1. Flopping – Despite the common misconception, soccer is a physical game. Unfortunately, there is a large subsection of players that regularly perform unnecessary histrionics when they are involved in a physical confrontation on the field.  Early in their development, some players recognize that they can earn an advantage if they end up writhing on the ground after a tackle.  These athletes demonstrate a lack of integrity, and they bring shame to the Beautiful Game.  Players should hold each other accountable for these duplicitous actions.  If that does not work, leagues should take punitive action against recidivists.
  2. Celebrating – Generally speaking, when an athlete generates points for their team, they celebrate the accomplishment with their teammates. When a soccer player scores a goal, however, they subsequently perform some narcissistic act like ripping their jersey off while running away from their fellow players (see Zlatan). My suggestion to all players; when you’re involved in a scoring play, find your teammates quickly, and then thank them for their support.
  3. Injuries – The game is far more combative than I ever expected. Unless a player has had a limb torn off via a hard tackle, please keep the stretcher in the ambulance.  Injured players should be encouraged to get up off the ground and walk off the field.
  4. Fouls – Soccer games are low scoring. Awarding a penalty shot for a foul in the box is extremely punitive.  Officials should have the ability to assess the severity of the violation, and then designate the appropriate consequences.  If the violation does not impact a direct scoring play, the punishment should be mitigated accordingly.
  5. Substitution – Players should be able to come in and out of the game. Injuries happen, and managers should have the flexibly to swap out players during a game.
  6. Offside – I don’t know how officials accurately track the release of the ball as well as the movement of the attacking players. The game moves quickly, and an imprecise offside call can be devastating in a low scoring match.  The rule needs to be modernized to reflect the speed of the game.

Candidly, I hope both boys continue to play the sport they love as I enjoy watching them.