No Cuts

Let me introduce you to my soccer team. The most culturally diverse team that I have seen at Benson Middle School. Girls I am proud to have on my team. Girls that will make coaching something very different from what it was with the boys. Girls who have had difficulty getting along this year. Girls who are intelligent, beautiful and full of pizzazz. Girls who I am proud to have on my team.

First, there are the girls that played last year. They were the first soccer team to win the conference championship. Five girls I hope will be leaders on the team. They are girls who do well in school – academically and behaviorally. As with many seasoned players with a new coach, they came to me with their ideas for how the team should operate. I listened and politely said, “No. People from last year’s team will not automatically be captains. As a team, you will choose your captain each game.” Even though they don’t quite see it as more than a popularity contest yet, I have no doubt that by the time the first game on March 10^th, they will vote for the person showing the most leadership.

Not only are their experienced players, I also have several players that have never played before. They know nothing about the game, but are willing to take the risk to find out what the game is all about. They are open to whatever they are asked to do. They are hungry to learn how to kick a ball and to be part of a team.

Our school is made up of three primary cultural groups: white, black, and Mexican (as they call themselves). The football team is an oreo – black and white. The volleyball team is white. Cheerleaders are both black and white. The boys’ soccer team was made up of Mexicans and whites. Basketball was primarily white and black. Looking at the lunch tables, most frequently one sees a similar breakdown. It warms my heart to see all groups represented on the soccer field this spring.

Experienced or inexperienced. Black, white, or Mexican.  An opportunity to learn from each other. And then there is the girls who like to fight and run their mouths. There have been several girl fights this year. All but two of the 7^th and 8^th grade girls who have been involved in fights are on the team.

The other coaches think I am crazy. Not only am I keeping all the girls going out for the team, I encouraged girls who have been in trouble to join us. I have been wanting to get some kind of girls’ group going, but had no idea when or how I could make that happen. And then soccer came along. An opportunity to learn how to work together for a common goal. An opportunity to foster teambuilding. An opportunity to let go of the drama and play some ball. Little do they know, learning how to work together both on and off the field is my primary focus – not winning a championship. There will be consequences for poor choices. However, I believe the consequences of becoming a team will far out number the those of poor choices.

I will have around 25 girls and a great assistant coach on the soccer team. Girls that will gain skills to become leaders in the school. I have my son as my assistant coach. A man who works them hard while treating them with respect. A team of winners in every sense of the word. I don’t know if we will win any games, but I have no doubt that we will all be winners at the game of life.