MONSTER MASH

Nicholas has been playing futsal on an Arbor futsal team this Winter. There are actually two Arbor teams in the same league. Nicholas' team is the the Red Monsters, and the other team is the Blue Monsters. I am not sure from where the names come. Perhaps one of the parents is a Gaga fan? Nonetheless, it is a truly great collection of young men, including some fantastic players.

The teams, in true Arbor fashion, are each coached by an older sibling of one of the boys on the team. I have had the privilege of serving as Assistant Coach of Nicholas' team, and it has been a blast to watch these boys play together. 

This weekend, we had the first of two meetings between the two Arbor teams. Affectionately, this match was nicknamed "The Monster Mash," and it was one for the ages.

Red quickly went up 1-0. However, Blue responded with three unanswered goals before half-time to take the score to 3-1. At halftime, I talked to the boys about playing with greater defense intensity and about following up shots in case there were rebounds. I also congratulated our goalie for playing an exceptional first half, in which he turned away over ten shots.

The Red Monsters must have heard me, or else they realized what was at stake in this match - bragging rights. They came out blazing and quickly tied up the game. With no more than three minutes to spare, Nicholas put in the game winner - a shot off of a rebound that he sent high into the net beyond his friend's grasp. Nicholas' teammates surrounded him and hugged him and gave him high-fives. Our bench also went wild, and I might have jumped up and down and screamed. You will have to check the tape.

Red scored another insurance goal, securing the victory in Monster Mash 1.0. The rematch takes place in 2 weeks!

Before this season, Nicholas had been the star of his local under nine years "U9" neighborhood team. He had the opportunity to play futsal with that same group of boys. However, he said he wanted to play on the Arbor team with his friends even though it was a U10 team and even though he would be one of the weaker players. He said, "Dad, I just want to be with my friends. We look out for each other, and we really like to be together."

So true. Sports should be fun, and it is always funner - win or lose - to play with one's friends. 

I  signed the Arbor boys up for another season after this one concludes. I hope to see many more goals. However, most of all, I hope to see many more moments of camaraderie and joy. Here's to all the little Arbor monsters!