How could that ever be?
Well, I wanted to pass along some information to the parents who were not able to be present at the match this morning against GLASA.
We lost. On the scoreboard. And, I've been doing this long enough to realize that for some, actually for many, the final score is all that really matters. That's sad, because for those people they missed the significance of what the girls did today.
They were faced with an opponent who trash-talked them the entire match. They were called names that I won't repeat. They were taken down with cheap shots. Even their faith was challenged. And, the coaching staff was even worse, for knowingly allowing it to happen, and for one of their coaches actually getting in the face of one of the officials after the match, screaming at him. That came after their coaching staff was directed to wear their coaching pass, and all refused.
After the game the GLASA players called out our players and began approaching our bench. Naturally our girls were upset, and they weren't going to back down. I can't blame them for that, but my job was to defuse the situation, and so I told our team, pretty forcefully, to be quiet, and to move away from the field area. I only learned afterwards that one of our players had actually been slapped by one of the GLASA girls after the match. Needless to say, I am more than just a little upset with the entire situation, but especially with the physical assault of one of our own.
So, back to the point, when a loss is not a loss. That would have been today because our team should be very proud of themselves for maintaining their composure. They did not lower themselves to the level of the GLASA team by using profanity, and violence. And, as far as I'm concerned, that made them winners in my book.
I know, the final score of 3-5 isn't what we wanted. It wasn't even what it should have been. We surrendered 14 corner kicks in the first half. We missed on six breakaways in the first half. We had 4 shots go of the posts. In the 2nd half, we only allowed 2 corners. We still struggled offensively, and this team has a lot of work to do. But, the girls are improving. And, they will continue to improve.
As I told everyone after the match, when I was asked to coach this season, I was offered a U19 or U16 girls team. I asked for the younger team. I did that because I wanted this team to begin to build towards something really good. I want them to remain together after this season, and continue to play in NMCSL next season, and for several seasons after that. Because, if they will do that, every player will see her technical skills improve, and the team will improve tactically, and even more importantly they will build a strong bond and learn some great life lessons. I know this because I had a team very much like this one my first year of coaching high school soccer. And, after the first season of play, a year in which we finished ranked #9 in the state, we became united and although we were the smallest high school in the state of Nebraska (with girls soccer), we were a force to be reckoned with. We never finished ranked outside of the top 5 in the state after that. While most schools were happy to just make it to a district final, we weren't satisfied unless we made it to the state championship match. And, the girls were so confident in their ability and commitment to the game and to each other, that every year they had their state tournament t-shirts printed at the beginning of the season. And, they earned the right every year to wear those shirts. Over the 11 years of my coaching varsity girls I watched frightened and only slightly skilled freshmen be welcomed by the senior girls who mentored them and taught them about a few things that we were all about. Integrity, Sportsmanship, Loyalty, Commitment, and Teamwork. And so, the smallest group of girls varsity soccer players in the state were giants on the field. And, often they were on the receiving end of trash-talk and cheap shots. They never retaliated. Not because they didn't want to at times. But, because they knew that if they did they would be letting their team, their school, and their city down. Because their talk was through their play. The statement that they made via their play was all that needed to be said.
That's where I want to go with this group of girls. Just because I didn't allow them to strike back the GLASA girls doesn't mean that I don't have their back, or that they can't defend each other. We just aren't going to do it by being trashy or violent.
Girls, today you were a winner. In many ways. And, before the end of this season, it is also going to be shown on the scoreboard. WELL DONE.
Coach Kevin and Scott