(For all youth soccer parents)
By Tim Bradbury, Director of Coaching Instruction, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association
The car ride home
That was the time I felt so alone
Covered in mud bathed in sweat
Dreading the sentence I knew would come next
I loved to play, always gave it my all
Dreamt I was Pele at least 8 feet tall
Trained so hard
Got to work the game out
Found it easy without all the shouts
So many voices all raised to a scream
Building the pressure
It's now hard to breathe
Chasing the ball games just begun
Volume not started
My God this is fun
Now is my moment
About to control it and pass …
One great solution
My math’s is first class
Kick it , boot it, no don't do that
We don't want you thinking
There is no time for that
Simply follow our orders
And The loudest of screams
Stop all that thinking come out of the dream
Whistle just blew
Pea scraped on tin
Death march to car park
Hells drifting in
And so it begins
All the things I did wrong
What was I thinking
When I played that back pass
Or chose to dribble with 10 on my back
Minute 1 through 60
Not a foot right
No surprise that I got subbed
Coach had it right.
If only I listened to the orders he gave
the solutions the genius he offers for free
I'm so ungrateful how can that be ?
Tears on the inside
I won't let them see
Simply stay stoned face
As they crucify me
Only two more turns now
Cause We're nearly home
Journey felt like forever
Yes there's no hell like home
Last of my thoughts as I climb out the door
It's really a blessing that I'm not going to play anymore
For the 70% that quit sport by 13, please share with as many parents as you can.
Tim Bradbury
#TIMBDOCI