2009.10.23

It was a challenging 24-hours. On Friday evening, we played a back and forth football game and came up short by a final score of 26-24. We had countless opportunities slip through our fingers. We had some good bounces and some bad bounces. On the up side, we are learning to compete. On the down side, we are not registering many wins.

On Saturday morning, I ducked out of football practice early to see Cie play in his fourth tournament soccer game. We have played this team three times in the past. The score has been 10-0, 5-0, and 4-0.

The team played hard and trailed 1-0 at halftime. In the second half, things unravelled quickly. About 10-minutes into the second half, Cie received a yellow card for supposedly threatening an opposing player. Then, a few minutes later, Cie received a red card for raising his arm while standing next to an opposing team player. Cie's coach went nuts. He got into a spirited debate with the official. Then, he and a coach on the opposing team got into a verbal sparring match.

The bottom line is: Cie is bigger, stronger, and faster than most of the kids on the field. He plays hard. He is relentless. He is always the most aggressive kid on the field. Because he is bigger and stronger than many of the kids, it looks like a mugging anytime there is contact.

Many of the kids on the field play like they are fragile ornaments made of glass. He plays without fear. He is the bull in the china shop.