As I sat in the bleachers today at Balboa High School, cheering for my 18-year-old son and his team, the wind and the fog blew in to the point where despite my jacket I started shivering.
Probably it's because I have gotten quite skinny this year, through a combination of reducing the amount of food I eat and walking a half mile or so most days. Suddenly I find I can fit into shirts that were too small last year, and jeans I could have worn in college, four decades ago.
But despite the chill, I felt warm watching him play. Although his team lost again, this time to an opponent they should have beaten, he got to do something I've never seen before.
Late in the game, his coach moved him to the center of the field, where he played center midfielder. The entire tone of the game changed, with this tall, fast, finesse player suddenly running the Balboa offense.
Despite his total unfamiliarity at this position, he did well, very well. He set up drive after drive, took four shots on goal, set up a bunch of others with passes, and led an exciting comeback drive that fell just short.
I hope his coach keeps him there, so we can see what happens. Most of all, he clearly was enjoying himself.
Before the game began, as a senior and co-captain this year, he went to the center of the field to meet with the refs and the captains of the other team. He had a big, beautiful smile on his face.
He was having fun. I had fun watching him have fun. I forgot all of my worries and fears and just enjoyed watching one of my kids play a game.
Sure they lost and are now 0-2, with no goals yet against 8 allowed in two games. But he's a natural leader, in my view, and I expect him to lead this team, which is very immature and disorganized, into a winning unit in the weeks to come.
I know he can do it because I know him and I believe in him.
Stay tuned. This story will only be told here.
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