Try-outs ⚽
Mom signed Boons up to try out for the school soccer team.
At first, when Mom asked him, he seemed a bit hesitant:
— I'm scared I'll play badly and mess up the team.
That's understandable. Usually, he's the type who likes tinkering with computers and making games more than running around playing sports.
But Mom wanted him to be more active. Not just to be healthy, but also to build effort, discipline, and the ability to overcome challenges.
Mom encouraged him:
— You're scared before you even try! If you play badly, they'll just cut you, that's all. But if you get picked, it means you have potential. Just give it a shot, what's there to be afraid of!
That made sense, so he agreed.
On Saturday afternoon, the whole family packed up and went from District 7 all the way to the campus in District 2 so he could join the try-outs.
He got all dressed up in sports clothes and soccer shoes, really looking like a player.
When we got there, he met two classmates who had also signed up. As soon as they saw each other, their eyes lit up and they started chatting away.
It was the first time either of us had been to a team try-out, so neither Mom nor son knew how it worked.
Mom stood outside watching and saw the coaches give each kid a ball and let them dribble all over the field.
Mom thought Boons actually looked pretty good dribbling! Even though at school, he usually signs up for dodgeball, not soccer.
All the kids just ran back and forth, dribbling everywhere. It looked pretty chaotic.
After a while, the coaches gathered everyone in a corner and started calling out names.
Boons was on the list they called.
Mom was excited, thinking:
Ah, I guess now they're calling names for the real try-out!
But then…
That was the list of kids who didn't make it.
Wait, what! 😳
Turns out that chaotic dribbling earlier was actually the try-out round!
The coaches had been walking around watching and judging the whole time.
Honestly, Mom felt both sorry for him and found it kind of funny.
So, no magic happened. If he wants to make the team, he'll probably need a lot more practice.
But Mom was also impressed by how the coaches ran the try-outs. No big announcements, no taking turns to show off. They just let the kids play naturally and watched.
Mom thinks that's a good lesson too:
It's not only when you know someone's watching that you need to be serious and try your best.
Sometimes, opportunities come in moments when you don't even realize you're being judged.
Dad encouraged him too:
— Even though you didn't make it today, I think you've improved and are much more confident than last year.
Mom also asked:
— If you could do it again, what do you think you'd do differently?
He thought for a bit and said:
— I think I didn't kick the ball very well with both sides of my feet.
Well, that's something learned!
A new experience, some exercise, and a little more understanding of himself.
Not to mention, while he was trying out, Dad managed to walk a whole 5km around the school.
A pretty productive afternoon for the whole family!
That evening, as soon as Mom touched the computer, he asked right away:
— Are you writing a story about the soccer try-out today?
Actually, Mom was about to do something else. But when he asked, Mom guessed he wanted today to be remembered.
So Mom agreed right away.
Mom curiously asked another question:
— So what do you remember most about today?
He answered really fast:
— Getting to see my friends was already fun!
...
Ah.
So that's what it was. 😆
Mom came home with a lesson about effort, discipline, and overcoming challenges.
Dad came home with a 5km walking achievement.
And Boons, even though he didn't make the team, still had a fun afternoon because he got to see his friends.
Well, everyone got something different out of it.
Mom thinks that's pretty good!