Spring soccer season is under way. Some late winter storms have been raining out practices and games, but my two soccer players have been very active nonetheless.
Last night, Aidan gathered his U-14 girls team at Franklin Square for the second pre-season practice of this spring. The girls were distracted and excited because they had a dance afterwards.
That wild emotional energy is something their young (17-year-old) coach has a great deal of trouble understanding, but he patiently led them through the drills he'd prepared nonetheless.
It's hard to believe that one of the tallest girls (nearest in the photo above) is his younger sister and my youngest child. She's a stalwart defender on this squad.
And they did fairly well under his direction, despite their distractedness.
Afterwards, he joined his club team for a vigorous practice way across town, in a bitter cold (by San Francisco standards).
This morning, my cellphone rang early with news that the rainstorms sweeping over the city had forced the cancellation of my daughter's game, and therefore freed my coach-son to focus on his own game today.
That game was to be played far to the east and north of here, in Brentwood. A quarter century ago, this was a farming district where we took our older kids to pick fruit.
You can still do that in a few places there, but today it is essentially another sprawling suburb.
"What is this place, Dad?" is all my son could offer as we landed there.
Luckily the hard rain stayed to the west and south as his State Cup game got under way. His team has not played well lately and if they lost today they would be eliminated.
In sports that's called sudden death.
They fell behind 0-2 by the half.
But then the pace of the game changed. Aidan and his teammates stepped up their game and scored first one goal, then a second, to tie it and force the game into overtime.
After two overtime periods, as the skies were darkening and the few of us parents in attendance were shivering and fearing what appeared to be a ferocious oncoming storm, the contest proceeded to penalty kicks.
This is when one player from each team gets a shot all alone at the opposing keeper. After he shoots, an opponent shoots at his keeper. All shots are from point-blank range.
The teams deadlocked over the first seven rounds of PKs,6-6.
That's when Aidan stepped up for his chance. He positioned himself as if he would shoot right and looked straight at the right side of the goal as he approached the ball.
The goalie followed his eyes and his positioning and dove that way while Aidan sliced the ball into the left corner.
With that he won the game for his team.
As a defensive player, he has rarely ever had an opportunity to be the hero, but today he got that chance and he rose to the occasion.
Congratulations, son!
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