Under the lights...

I coach Keelin's soccer team. A few weeks back, I was approached with a fantastic invitation to bring our team to play at halftime of the Nanaimo United (Division 1 Women) soccer game last Saturday night. We'd been to this particular field before just recently, but not at night. Way more impressive at night! We drove up to park. All lit up, it might as well have been Dodger stadium. I felt that same sense of wonder. We'd made it to the bigs.

Keelin was adorable. Before we left the house, she had made sure to wear a headband to pull her bangs back. We went to see her thirteen-year old "cousin" play a couple weeks ago at this field on Sunday afternoon (why we'd been there). Before her game, Taylor put her bangs back into a headband. Keelin wanted to be just like her. Playing on the same field as her big "cousin". So in went the headband. I knew what she was after, but I kind of spoiled it by making her wear her toque over it. It was freezing, though! Night games come without sunshine.

Keelin watched as she waited for her turn on the pitch. I watched her watching them, as she admired their size and ability. I remember being the same way, thinking how I wanted to be just like the big girls. It's good to have good role models, and have something to aspire to be when you grow up!

The little girls' soccer game, needless to say, looked nothing like the game the big girls were playing! It was hilarious. Usually, my girls play 4 v. 4, but with the short time allowed, the organizers wanted everyone to play, so we played 6 v. 8 (our team had 6!) They proceeded to play in their usual style--all swarming like bees, like they do when there's only eight on the field on Saturday mornings. Only now, there were fourteen of them hovering around the ball at the same time. Back and forth they all ran as one big blob, chasing the ball up and down the field for ten whole minutes. So cute! I mentally ran every lap with them from the sidelines. It was exhausting. We scored the only goal (we weren't really keeping score, but since my team was short-handed, I was pretty impressed with ourselves!)

The big girls got back on and resumed the game. We didn't stay for the end. We went home to warm our toes. And a much-deserved hot chocolate for the whole family.

We were very grateful to have been invited by the Nanaimo United coaches, whose purpose in having us was to inspire our young girls to keep with soccer for the long term. It was a great experience to expose the girls to the beautiful game, to introduce them to some great examples of successful players, and a great way to give the girls a "goal" to "shoot" for. (I know... but I couldn't resist.) It's one thing to tell someone something, and another to let them experience it for themselves. What a wonderful experience it was!

You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith toward God has gone forth, so that we have no need to say anything. 1 Thessalonians 1:6-8