WE ARE HOGS!

I have been playing on a futsal team of guys from my neighborhood for the past few months. Our team name is the HOGS (Handsome Old GuyS). This is somewhat fitting because nearly all of us are over 40, although I am not certain how handsome we are. Our T-shirt logo pictured above says it all.

Our record in the league has been mostly miss. We won one game early on. However, since then we had lost 10 games in a row. There are many reasons for this losing streak. First, we have lost several quality players to injury, and they have been replaced by individuals who have never played the game. Second, most of the other teams are simply better than us and belong in higher divisions than ours, the bottom division. Finally, we have not played to our potential and have made silly mistakes. These small mistakes can add up and change the course of a game.

However, last night was a different story. The HOGS came out blazing, and we quickly took a lead. I played as a number 8 (attacking midfielder).  My main job was to attack their goal and set up my teammates.  By halftime it was 3-0, including an assist by me. We added four more goals in the second half to make it 7-0. One of those goals included a beautiful left foot shot after I went around their keeper.

At that point, the referee stopped keeping score, and we went on to win the game 7-1. Kathleen and the kids were there to watch the second half, and Cate ran onto the court at the end to give me a big hug.

I always tell me kids that playing your best is the most important thing regardless of the scoreline or the final result. However, it sure does feel good to play one's best and win. Let's hope we can turn this into a streak! Go HOGS!