Playing Percentages

Badly wind-burned after four and a half hours out in the elements, but all in all, for me, a pretty good day. One win and one loss.

If you'd asked me beforehand, not that anyone ever would, I probably would not have picked the team with an all-time record of 7-37-2 before today's game as the one that would prevail -- but they did, in exciting fashion.

They played to a 0-0 tie and then won on shootouts, 2-1. I took the photo above a few moments afterward.

Now the cleats go away until next fall for these girls. I'm not sure how much longer my daughter will keep paying soccer -- I know she is not as serious about the sport at this point as her brother, who plays year-round, and whose team lost their spring season opener tonight, 1-4.

But all's well that ends all, which is a cliche for those of you who are not native English speakers, and when your team has only won 17 percent of the games it has played over six seasons, a victory like today's is well worth celebrating.

Her brother's team is struggling as well, so far. But the truth about soccer at his level is it takes quite a period of time for a new team to get established and reach the level where they can beat teams that have been together longer.

Players have to learn about how to work together, communicate, and anticipate each others' moves. This team is one still in formation and by my records, which may not be entirely accurate, they've won or tied 42 percent of the games or scrimmages they've competed in so far.

For an up and coming team that's actually quite impressive. But they will have to play better than they did tonight to win games against teams that have been around longer and are more skilled at playing together as a team.

I rarely miss any of my kids' games; never have missed any I could find a way to get to. I keep records and at some point I should add up all of the games in all of the sports I've watched from the sidelines -- baseball, basketball, soccer.

If and when I do that, I wouldn't be surprised if the percentage of wins hovers right around 50 percent.

You win some and you lose some.

Rather like everything else in life. Jobs, relationships, friendships, great fun and great sadness, gains and setbacks.

The days come and the days go. The winds rise and then fall. My face is hot and red tonight after being whipped mercilessly by our westerly winds, which were sucked in from the hot air that hovered here all week, finally succumbing to the laws of planetary physics that brought the cooler air of the Pacific Ocean, converted it to fog, and blanketed this place in its signature clothing.

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