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I watched Ava’s soccer game the other day 
and amidst the excitement…the applause…the cheers
I realized I’ve been watching our children and grandchildren play soccer…for over 40 years.

The rules of the game haven’t changed…
nor have the parents on the sideline who coach it
but what has changed as the children grow…is the way they all approach it.

When they are little…
”Kick it! Kick the ball!” You hear parents and coaches cry
while that child smiles…much more interested in a butterfly or a bird
as the ball goes rolling by.

“Run to the ball! Go get it!” Coaches and parents roar…
while that child is smiling and waving at a relative on the sideline…
they hadn’t noticed before.

The coaching from both sidelines over the years remains the same…
but it takes a while before the players on the field truly understand the game.

And, if they’re lucky, how soccer played from the time they’re young…
until they reach their teens…
can teach them a lot about life…and exactly what winning means.

The basic lesson is a simple one…in fact when we were kids it was the same:
How even though it feel good to win…it’s more important how you play the game.

If you had fun…if you played hard but fair…
If you had a chance to cheat…but you refused…
It doesn’t matter as much at the end of the game…if you win or lose.

How whether it’s a sport…or life…whatever you’re participating in…
you can learn as much or more about yourself when you lose
as you do when you win.

Ava broke a nail…her knee was dirty…she was a little bruised and battered….
but just as it has for the past 40 years…the final score…to me…didn’t matter.. 

I hugged Ava at the end of the game…I couldn’t help but grin
because…just getting to watch her play…for me…will always be a win…
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