Life After the Penalty Handball Kick: My Soccer Story, Part III

Read parts I and II here and here respectively.

Many people will describe the game as boring, but I doubt any of them have ever played it. I loved running; I loved the exhilaration of stealing the ball from an opponent and going on a 60+ yard breakaway; I loved being able to throw the ball further than anyone else on my team; I loved slide tackling and on muddy and wet fields I knew I would slide tackle EVERY CHANCE I GOT! I have permanent scars on both my left and right upper thighs, but I have not a single regret about slide tackling the ball away from opponents. I never developed the skills to play at a collegiate level, let alone any chance of a scholarship. But, I played on college club teams and in men’s leagues after college. When my kids were old enough to play, I was fortunate to be their coach and share the love of the game with them. Nowadays, I spend more time watching games than playing or coaching. But the appreciation for the game will always be with me. I love watching the tremendous individual skills of today’s superstars just as much as watching a great team coordinate an attack from their goal line, through midfield, through the ever-tightening defenses of the opponent, and culminating with an unbelievable strike on goal that sends the ball to the back of the net! Soccer is the world’s sport and I pine for the day when a US team plays in the championship game of the Copa Mundial!

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