On yet another perfect spring day, my son and about ten boys got together for a pickup game of soccer on the back field yesterday. They've been playing on a club team since first grade, coached by my husband, and with the exception of a few players, the core group has been together all along. Practices for the new season start up next week, but they couldn't wait for it. Now they're old enough to call/text/e-mail a time and place, no adults needed except maybe for a ride. One ball is all they need and they were ready to scrimmage for a couple of hours, with only a quick water break on our back porch.
To see them on the field, you might think they're all best friends in the way that they make calls, pass, and celebrate goals. The truth is that the school day reveals the typical web of most adolescent social patterns; they don't all sit at the same lunch table or snag seats together in class. But what's barely visible to the naked eye is that light thread that runs between them. They may break off into groups of three or four in the cafeteria, but they always come together again when they're out on the field. Our middle school feeds into two high schools, and between public and private schools, my thirteen-year-old will say good-bye to a lot of classmates at the end of the school year. There's already a buzz among these guys that the team will stay together--this remains to be seen. For now, I'll enjoy the unity from the sidelines.
Loved this. That line "...that light thread that runs between them."...very nicely done!
ReplyDeleteThe message here about the loyalty of this team is also powerful. I think that it's a special thing.