No Substitutions

Now that I've gotten the musings out of the way, it's time to get deeper. It's good to share light, humorous words, but you'll never learn to swim if you always stay where the water's shallow. I was thinking on the ride home about the game of soccer, even all sports in general, and how the person on the field is often such an accurate representation of who you are as a person. In many ways the field becomes a microcosm for the world we live in, and the spectators are treated to more than just a match among players. While we fill in positions and roles on a team, there is more going on than simply a match; we demonstrate who we are through the things we do on the field.

Let me try and flesh out this though before it evaporates into oblivion. If the field is the world, your position is your profession. You select, or have selected for you, a job to do based upon your preferences and skill sets. Although I may want to be a striker because it is a glamorous and high profile position, my inability to outrun a child will prevent me from playing that role. Similarly, we all may desire fame and fortune as actors or singers but lack any real talent. You do what you're good at, and if you do it well, you are rewarded. To start is to be promoted; you are more than just a player, you are one of the top players, slightly above the others. To be benched, in some cases, is to be fired. Your inability to do something well lands you in a place of unemployment, but it is usually only temporary.

Now that we have jobs, and realize we fit into something bigger, we must consider the idea of other players. First, we have the teammates; our friends. These people are supporting us, they work with us to aid in a common goal of victory and success, and suffer with us in our losses. Sometimes our relationships work, others they fall apart. Beyond them, we have the opponents. These are the jerks. We don't like them, we might not have reason on be justified in it, but we just don't like them. We villainize them, judge them, and taunt them. We wish for their misfortune, and celebrate in their losses, as they are potential gains for us. Finally, we have the referee; Mr. Policeman. He tells us what we already know, we've done something wrong. We may know the rules, may plead ignorance, may argue, may flip out, but regardless, we answer to this person. When we disagree, we show our disgust, when we think he's not looking, we break his rules, very rarely to we ever follow his wishes. (What does that tell you about society?)

So there's the framework. With a limited time to win, and set parameters to do so within, the clock is already against you. There's extreme pressure to succeed, so much so that you'll break the rules to do it. You'll risk injury for your fellow teammates, you'll step on the opposition, anything to win. The question I have, however, is why? Why is there such a strong desire to win at any cost? Why, when we step on to this field, do we feel such a separation from who we are in the world, and who we become in sport? Why is it that we justify our anger, disobedience, fowl language, disrespect, and apathy by relating it to the game?

I'll tell you why I play, (and then you'll likely throw rotton fruit at me for being cliche). I play because I love and respect the game. I'm not a world-class player, I figured this out long ago, but I play because I want to keep fit(er than I would be on my couch at home), and because I genuinely love the game. I love working and being part of a team, I love talking to fans and supporters on the sides, and I even enjoy talking to players on the other team. I don't really care all that much about the score, or about the points, I just want to come out, have a good time, and help out my team. Maybe I'm not the most driven player, but I know who I am. I love life, I love to interact, to work hard, and to try and succeed. This is my persona on and off the field. When I am playing, I am the same me as when I am at work, or at home. The jersey is just to add to the LCF. So I leave you with a question, when you're playing your sport, be it soccer, lacrosse, hockey, volleyball, whatever, what does your behavior tell you about the person you are in life, and how does that jive with the person you want to be?

Respond if you're inspired, if not, have a good game.