PLAY LIKE A GIRL

Cate has been playing on an Under 9 (year old) "U9" Competitive team at a local futsal facility. Futsal is a five a side game played on a smaller court than a regular soccer pitch using a heavier ball. The focus of the game is ball handling and foot skills rather than speed and power.

This weekend, Rose City hosted its first competitive tournament, and Cate's team was entered in the U9 Division. The other three teams were boys teams because there was not sufficient interest from any of the girl's teams nearby, and all of us felt like our girls would be up to the challenge.

The tournament got off to a rough start as Cate's team lost 7-1 to another team from Rose City. The girls played meekly and seemed to be intimidated by the boys on the other team who were quite aggressive. However, Cate's team stormed back to win the next two game. These wins secured them a place in the Final, where a rematch with the first team they had played awaited.

In the Final, we scored first, and our girls were bossing the game. However, the other team put two goals past Cate who was playing goalie before the end of the first half. The parents of Cate's team were doing our best to motivate the girls with lots of cheering, and I must confess a little too much coaching from the stands-myself included. In the second half, our girls took control and shut the other team down. The final score was 6-3, and our girls were victors.

Afterwards, there was an awards ceremony complete with medals and a log slice trophy a la the Timbers. We cheered our girls on, and it was amazing to see the pride and the joy on their faces.

I could not be more proud of these young ladies. They showed the players and families on the other teams what it means to "play like a girl." I hope our players carry this victory with them and realize that they are the many determinants of their success and that no obstacle is insurmountable if one throws one's self into the task! I cannot wait for the next challenge!