Monday, May 07, 2007

Nemesis Confrontation


My daughter's soccer team had their last game of the season on Saturday. It was against the team that happened to be the first team they played last season. That game included lots of poor sportsmanship on the part of the other team. Name calling, pushing, hitting, scratching, and hair pulling. It was the worst I've ever seen in any sport at any level.
For a newly formed team of girls, many of which had never played competitive sports before it left an imprint. None of our girls had forgotten this team. So entering into this last game there was lots of excitement to finally face them again. My own daughter has been obsessed with this game for two months now. So, it was a mixed feeling of excitement and trepidation when they finally took the field.

It was a good game from start to finish. We had the first foul called on us as one of our girls showed one of their girls to the ground very quickly. It wasn't dirty and I don't think should have been called, but it did set the tone that we weren't going to be pushed around this time. The other team scored first thanks to a run by a very speedy girl, but our team didn't give up and scored the next two goals. One of our goals was by a girl that hadn't scored all season. I was thrilled to see her score, because I had been telling her parents all season that she had the skill to do it. In the second half she scored again and she was all a glow.

Our opposition almost immediately answered and tied the game up. It was back and forth with both teams having some opportunities and we went into the final quarter of play up 5-4.

I was tense as I needed to shift some girls around to make sure they all got equal playing time. My daughter finally scored the game clinching goal with a few minutes left to play. She was great and really fun to watch that day, because she was not going to be denied. In that last quarter she was our entire offense. Every time that we had the ball on their end was because she got it down there. I've said several times that she is not the fastest or strongest girl out there. She does it on sheer force of will. It's really cool. There were times where she would have three opponents grabbing and kicking at her and she would still progress the ball down field. She finally got a one on one opportunity with their best defender. As soon as I saw the defender stand back to try to block the shot, I knew it was going in. I would have bet money on it. Finally my daughter had what she had wanted ever since their first game against each other last season. She had slayed that dragon.

15 comments:

fringes said...

Do you not have refs monitoring the dirty play? Congrats to your daughter for her weekend dragon slaying.

Dagromm said...

The refs last season were infinitely worse than this season. We had lots of 12 year olds that wouldn't call anything. I think the kid that was the ref last year was in over his head.

Nate said...

That's a great post.

DixieDallas said...

Booyah!
Reminds me of how in Byzantium on the Shannon, Part the Second, "We all to returned to Tavia. We decided to get better prepared, and then go back and kick some dragon ass. We went back to the portal, and had a huge fight with the Black Wyrm..."
Those were the days, my friend! You got them prepared. Was that other team the Black Wyrms by any chance?

Cyber D said...

Dagromm, You know what makes this post so much more fun in my own mind? Picturing your daughter running around the soccer field in full-chainmail armor and dragging around a broadsword like in the cartoon video game DragonSlayer!

Dagromm said...

Gyuss - Thank you

Dixie - They actually have a much less intimidating and much more girly name, but they are rough none the less.
I admit that I was fearful that this game would descend into a brawl at the drop of a hat.

Cyber - As amped up as she was for this game I think you could've put full armor on her and she still would have been running out there.

Q said...

I agree Gyuss. Are you ever not right about anything...

Tera said...

That is a wonderful story!!! Your daughter is truly to be commended...you too for not being a "Soccer Dad" and joining IN on the fighting! :)

heather said...

goodness dags! your proud papa chest is so puffed out right now it's gonna need it's own zip code. ;-) i'm happy for your daughter.

i'm also proud of you and your restraint. *you ~didn't~ streak the field yelling we rock and you suck. or ~did~ you???*

Dagromm said...

tera - Thanks! I think I'm able to keep from being the "soccer dad", because I'm coaching. I'm too busy keeping up with the game to worry about the other stuff.

Heather - You are soooo right. For this game my daughter was my hero. She's fun for me to watch, because she plays so differently than I did/do. It was really inspiring to me.

I have to admit that in my giddyness at winning the game that I forgot to go shake the other coach's hand. I probably looked like an ass. Especially, when I took out the 5' cardboard stand up I made of him and desecrated it on the field before the game. I was trying to win the psychological battle, but looking back on it, it was a bit much.

heather said...

you dork! lmao. i can so see you doing that. well maybe not without the rest of the quad getting you drunk and egging you on first with plug and chillax taunting you, but yeah. it could happen.

Churlita said...

Yea! for your daughter. it's good that her team didn't resort to the same lame antics as the other team in order to win. I still have two more weeks of soccer momming.

LIT said...

Congratulations to you and your daughter! No doubt you both deserved the glory.

So, are you in for another season as coach?

Dagromm said...

heather - It could certainly happen. Most definitely.

Churlita - Our season is over, but we've got one more event coming up in two weeks plus of course trophies. So I'm not quite done, but I'm almost there.

Lit - I got the paperwork last night to do it again this next season. My daughter says she wants me to do it again, so it looks like it'll happen. I'll have to upgrade my license though for the next age level.

Q said...

Dagromm, I hate you...