Watching Balboa take a 3-0 lead yesterday in the first half against their arch-rival Lowell, with one of the goals orchestrated by a great throw-in from the sideline by Aidan (photo above), I momentarily revisited the wonderful positive dreams of the past three years for this little school's soccer team.
After almost three decades of losing seasons they have had three straight winning seasons.
And beating Lowell, which has a long (20+) game winning streak would be a major accomplishment for him and his teammates in his senior year.
He's co-captain of the squad and the younger kids on the team look up to him.
But a win was not to be. Lowell stormed back to win it in the end, 4-3.
As we walked back to the car, he allowed that this one hurt. We both know any dreams he might have had for a championship season are rapidly evaporating now. There are only 12 games this year, under a re-figured schedule, and Balboa will have to win 6 or 7 to have any mathematical chance, realistically, of making the championships.
Meanwhile, his head coach suddenly resigned last Friday. An interim coach worked yesterday. A new coach shows up tomorrow.
Anyone who knows anything about team sports knows this kind of instability is a recipe for disaster.
I feel so sorry for my son. After all his years of hard work, it appears his senior year will be a disaster, through no fault of his. If anything, he's playing at the peak of his ability.
But none of it may matter.
That said, he knows it is his responsibility to be a leader, whether things go well or badly. In that sense, this is his chance, on another level, to show what he is made of.
If this team comes back and turns into a winner, he will a key reason behind that.
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