I have gone almost 38 years without watching Soccer. Growing up in the Midwest there were three sports — Football (Bears), Baseball (Cubs/Sox), and Hockey (Blackhawks).

Every now and then we might see a commercial for a soccer team called the Sting, but it always ignored and or forgotten immediately. Some of my friends were really into sports statistics, memorizing obscure stats and watching all the games.

A few of us, myself included, had a detached interest in sports. We would watch a game now and then if someone else had it on, but there were other things that captured our attention far more that sports.

Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, Atari 2600, Nintendo, science fiction and comics were more our speed. It helped our social group that the sports guys liked AD&D and video games so our group remained the same.

Fast forward to current day. Having just gone through my son’s first season of Tee-Ball, I attended his first soccer game today.

I really didn’t know what to expect. Soccer practice had been a test of patience for the coach involved surrounded by the barely controlled chaos of the Maverick soccer team.

If soccer was anything like Tee-Ball, kids would be either all running towards the ball (all positions, literally!). Or not paying attention — I mean they are six, what can really be expected?

Add to this the fact that my son is a really nice non-aggressive kid. Soccer is new to him and during practice he did a lot of standing around and not really going for the ball.

So all week I talked to him from time to time with the intention of getting a few things to stick in his head…

Never stop running — Soccer never stops unless the referee or coach says so. If you are standing around, you are wrong.

Go Get the Ball - Run to where the ball is and kick it towards the goal. Kick and run hard, you are faster than the other kids, run for the ball.

I kept it low key, just reminding him so he didn’t forget. And I had an advantage over every other parent. My son’s team name is the Mavericks. My son’s name is Maverick. So instead of being some psycho dad yelling encouragement to his son/daughter and generally annoying everyone — I was a good dad yelling encouragements for the team.

A lot of those encouragements were of course directed towards my son, a lot were to the team as a whole too. It turned out to be the greatest game I have ever seen.

Why? Well it was the action really. Its as close to non-stop that a game can possible be. Second they switch lines every three minutes. More play time for each kid. And last, but not least…

My son kicked ass!! All those little reminders — remembered. His natural running ability — utilized. Going for the ball — like a shark after chum.

All in all he had not one but two breakaway goal shots. The first went just a tad too wide and missed, but the second went in and with a defender on him!

I had threatened earlier in the game to go European and rip my shirt off and run around the field if he scored, but I decided in the end that subjecting those poor children and parents to such a sight was just too sadistic and kept my shirt on.

My excitement over his performance today was in fact not because of personal pride, I am proud of him even if he totally fails. The excitement I felt was from seeing my son feel pride in himself. Kids need that from time to time. They also need the lessons that failure can teach, but success is a good teach too.