International Sign of Respect

When children play soccer and a player is injured, all members of both teams rest on one knee with their hands folded together in respect of the injured player.  When said player gets up, or is carried off the field, everyone claps.  I find this sign of respect from young boys very touching. 

And at the end of the game, my son's team started a ritual where they form a bridge cheering the other team's name.  It is interesting to see how the other team reacts to this.  Often they are confused, then surprised, then they participate, and return the bridge.  It changes the tone of the ending of the game, no matter who wins.  Then they run and give the parents high fives.  I don't go to all of Aveen's soccer games (they both Amrita out of her wits), but this ritual is so sweet that it always makes me cry.

In fact, the boys themselves were crying after their game today, defeated 3 - nothing.  And Aveen was in net for the second half and had two goals scored on him.  He is always in net because he is an awesome goalie - he almost always catches the ball and boots across the field.  But when they lose a game, as goalie, he feels solely responsible for losing the game, which he shouldn't because it is a team sport.

Many of the parents were riled up with the game.  The other team pushed and shoved, the referee was unfair, the other coach kept yelling at our coach.  All that was true.  But the kids would not have been upset had the grown-ups not been yelling.  And no one got hurt.  And we finished early.

And it was a great weekend!  The team played two great games on Saturday.  The motel looked less Psycho like in the morning and turned out to have a great pool where we swam twice.  Amrita made friends with two other younger sisters who came along.  And the summer spinach salad at Swiss Chalet was not so bad.  And the boys had a GREAT time.  And the parents - aside from being a bit intense about soccer - were really nice.  And I feel a lot better than I did on Friday.  I even picked up vegetables from the Kingston market but then couldn't choke down kale and cawliflower curry - in fact, I can't even spell it.  We had pasta with tomato and basil sauce instead. 

So, yes, a soccer weekend can indeed cure a cold, as long as it comes with a pool!