Let's Play Three!

So, for my inaugural blog entry for the HSAA JV Boy's Soccer team... I'm going to start off by talking about baseball.  (Hang with me here....)  When discussing why modern-day pitchers don't seem to be as durable as those of the yesteryear, one of the theories often bandied about is this:  kids playing baseball prior to the 1970's didn't play in leagues, with scheduled practices once or twice a week.

They just played.  Every chance they got.  For as long as they could get away with.

Read any biography of a player from that era, and they will invariably talk about playing baseball from the moment school let out until it was too dark to see the ball.

They loved the sport, and played it as much as they could.

So why did I choose this as my opening foray in this blog?  Over the last few weeks, our HSAA boys have been doing something remarkably similar.  The call went out via email (which *is* probably a bit different from how Mantle or Koufax would have done it).... "Let's meet an hour early and play some more."

Most notably, the call didn't come from a coach, or a parent.  It came from one of the boys.  And many boys joined them.  They met early simply because they love the game, and they love playing it, and they want to work harder and practice more to get better at it.  For the love of the game.

So, as we enter this new season, and look at all the miles we have to drive, all the money we have to find, all the matches we have to attend (many of which are completely on the other side of the metroplex)... it might help to be reminded just how much our son(s) love this game.

This group is special... we are not just a rec team cobbled together... HSAA provides us and our children a unique opportunity to participate in their sport, at a level of competition equivalent to what they would experience were they in public schools.  Indeed, one could argue the experience is superior.

It always makes me smile when my son climbs into the car, stinky and sweaty, and gushes about how much he loves to play soccer.  It's why we do what we do... so the son we love can do what he loves.

Two hours of practice?  Let's play three!