Growing up as a typical American kid in the south and midwest, I loved playing those great American sports like baseball and basketball. One year, when I was in fifth or sixth grade, I played soccer in the neighborhood with some friends. I went home and told my parents how fun it was and before you knew it, I was signed up to play on a youth soccer team.
The name of our team was the "Dark Horses." I thought that was a cool name at the time, but now that I think about it, it seems a little prophetic. "Oh, you're the Dark Horses. I guess no one will ever expect you to win."
I showed up at my first practice. I thought we must have a great soccer team because our coach was from England. Don't ask why that mattered, but being the typical eleven year old, it just seemed to make sense. Needless to say, I knew nothing about soccer. I knew there was a guy who stood in the goal. He was the only one who could use his hands. That was about it.
Well, I soon found my position on the field. I was a fullback. In other words, they put me on the back corner on defense and told me that if the ball ever comes near just kick it as hard as I could to midfield. I had watched the Sylvester Stallone and Pele' movie "Victory" about WWII and soccer and thought I knew all I needed to. So, one game the ball comes my way. It was a very high kick, so I decided to head the ball back to midfield. No one told me how much that hurt. It felt like I headed a bowling ball.
I enjoyed the game. I was at every game except one. We lost all our games except the one I missed. It was then I decided that maybe soccer wasn't for me. Being taller than everyone else had no advantage for me.
Now, it's many years later and I've been coaching my kids' soccer teams for years. The YMCA needed coaches, so I volunteered. This was definitely out of my comfort zone. Slowly, season after season, I began to understand this game. More importantly, my kids love to play.
This gives me an opportunity to be with them and experience something they love. So, I'm "Coach Dad" to them. In fact, there are many kids in our community now who don't know me as the "Pastor" but as "Coach." I can handle that. In some ways, coaching and pastoring are a lot alike. It involves teaching, mentoring, caring, comforting, challenging, etc.
In just a little while, my daughter's team, the Eagles will take the field. Gotta go. Maybe i I use a fake English accent we'll have a better chance to win.
