So the first match of the Summer league season was here.
Although the game had changed – up to 11-a-side, bigger pitch and all the worries from the last blog – the opposition were familiar. The teams had played each other several times over the last couple of seasons; league, cup and friendly. They had been of a very similar standard to each other whenever they’d played, usually with only the odd goal to separate them. When they met in the cup final, it had gone all the way to penalties with our team coming out on top and my lad saving a penalty in sudden death to decide it.
We didn’t know what to expect here though. Both teams having to add players since they last met and both using triallists in this game, meant it could be more one sided, or tightly contested as usual.
As it turned out though, pretty much all the worries I’d had about the size of the goals didn’t materialise.
On the flip side though, in a 4-3 win, he was at fault for two of their goals. Their first two goals were shots that in training or in matches, he himself would expect to save without breaking sweat. Not even think about. The first something similar to Dave Beasant at Chelsea – as if a hole had appeared in his body – he looked as if he had everything right, only for the ball to go straight though him and into the goal. The second, a low shot to his right that lacked any real pace but somehow managed to find it’s way past his outstretched palm.
Apart from these two shots he looked nervy for most of the game – but even with the nerves, in between the goals conceded, he held 2 or 3 shots that were much more difficult than they looked. His kicking was almost faultless, although again he looked nervy as he approached the goal kicks and indecisive with his choice of distribution.
They won the game but it was in spite of him, rather than thanks to him.
As we always do, we had a talk after the game and although feeling very low and disappointed with his performance, he told me what he’d done wrong with the goals and we were both happy enough that they were simple lapses of concentration – probably thinking about the throw out or pass, before the ball was actually safely in his hands. Ever since he’s played, I’ve always chosen my words very carefully after a less than convincing display. Generally we agree that mistakes are mistakes and they can happen to the best of us but the key is to use them as a positive and work on them, to try to minimise the chance of the same mistake happening again.
It turned out the nervy goal kicks were a different matter. It came out in a conversation with another parent a few days after the game that when he was preparing to take his goal kicks, he was getting various instructions from the parents side of the pitch on what he should do – something I hadn’t thought of with the size of the pitch is that you can’t hear what’s said or shouted over on the other touchline – I guess outfield players suffer the same multiple points of view being shouted their way during a game but the difference is, most of the time they won’t have time to think about it because the ball is live – they’ll just instinctively do what their brain tells them to. A goal kick though, a dead ball, with everybody staring at you, when 2 or 3 people are shouting for it to; “go long, play it to the left back, knock it out wide” is bound to make you hesitate and question your own instincts.
After all, he is only 12.
Once I found out this bit of information, we had a talk and I kept my advice simple. Just listen to the manager – and your coach, obviously – before the game and ignore the various shouts from the opposite side during the game. The game changes all the time, mix it up, change your kicks but most importantly, make your own decisions.
It comes back to that thing about his mentality again. It could be a long season. Keep the faith.
Keeper of the faith 