Equipment, defeat and the end of Spring Soccer

Yesterday saw the last action for the Lawrence Adult Soccer League, with rain-out games played for all teams. While the spring saw decent weather, yesterday previewed what is to come in the summer: 90 degrees and humid. That said, I will not be partaking in the summer, as another team member said: I will be useless running in this heat and humidity. Teams are smaller and so is the field during the summer session, and I will pick it up again in the fall.

The two topics I will mention today are defeat and equipment. The league I play in is perfect for my skill level, low for my competitive level. I wish I could say that I play in one of the higher leagues, and that I am successful in one of those leagues. Last fall, I scored six goals and eight assists in six games, yet this spring, I only scored once (maybe twice, I cannot remember now), and had five assists. This is part of the problem with competition and success: when you taste success, you want to maintain it. Our team overall played very well this spring, better than last fall. And yet I have a sense of loss, because I could not maintain my successful level of play. Certainly, a bounce here and there, and (let me count them...) I would have scored six more legitimate, maybe seven, goals, and I would be content. We play in a league that does not keep record of wins and losses, so it really is the team that matters. However, I judge my play on how well I perform. Whether that is an amazing pass (that leads to nothing), a great corner (that floats out of bounds), or a simple goal... I judge myself, as in any sport I play, on whether it lived up to my standards. And this season, after my past success, did not live up. Alas, I have fall to look forward to, and to prepare for.

However I will need a new pair of boots. The heal of my left boot has broken off, and after a season of games, my left foot is now hurting. All the more apparent after the game yesterday and into today, where a bruise has formed on my left heal. Thus the importance of wearing the correct equipment. I imagine that the majority of injuries comes from improper equipment, at least in soccer. But it can happen in many sports. Think of someone who just goes running daily. The must replace their shoes every few months. What happens is the sole of the shoe will wear unevenly, depending on your stride. After weeks of running on inadequate shoes, you run the risk of injury to your legs, because your body warps to the contour of the shoe. Me missing a cleat on the heal, put extra force on the outside of my foot, which is now bruised. A softball bat that is too heavy will strain the arm, a worn basketball shoe will slip. So it is important, before every season, and during the season, that we all take a look at our equipment, and make sure that we are not in danger of injury, which will prolong and allow us to enjoy sports for much longer.

- Tom.

Losing the edge

As the spring season of sports is coming to a close, I am in need of a short break. My body is rounding into shape nicely, after several months of little activity over the winter, the spring sessions always get me back into shape. But now, it is my mind that is in need of rest.

Some people participate in rec league athletics as a way to exercise, and as I have mentioned, others (like myself) do it to continue competing in some form. Recently I have been putting in the effort, but not seeing the results, which has driven me into a funk.

So far this season I have battled a dislocated shoulder, bruised ribs, strained muscles and bruises all over, which comes from the contact sports I play and my advancing age. Ever the athlete, I do not want to use these injuries as excuses for my poor-to-average play. In softball, normally the lead-off hitter and 3rd baseman, play a great first game, but have now had back-to-back weeks of two singles in about fourteen at-bats. Last week I made a phenomenal stop at third, and threw the ball five feet wide and eight feet over the first baseman's head. In volleyball, I had two great kills at the ten-foot line, then for the next hour and a half, couldn't get anything in on a serve or hit, had trouble passing, and wasn't in the correct spot for most games. Soccer is the only thing half-way going well, with two goals and two assists in the past two games, but even there I have missed some easy shots (a penalty shot last game that went three feet left).

I feel lackadaisical while playing. It feels that I'm trying with all my energy, but at half speed. My mind is wandering when I'm not in play. It's almost as if... I don't care. I've been trained to win for so long, that when I find myself drifting off, I pull back and curse myself for not having the 'killer instinct' I use to have. In softball, I'm trying to place my hits, and when it doesn't work, I go into a funk. In volleyball I try to hit harder, and the first time I hit it out or into the net, it gets into my head.

My poor play is getting into my head, and making me play worse, which makes me not want to play. So how do you transition from playing for fun, to playing to win? Our softball team has this problem. Everyone on the team likes to play and have a good time. When we are winning, everyone jokes around and has fun. When we start losing, people start getting on each other, and we start bickering. This is a perfect example of not being able to have it both ways. So how does an individual do it?

Alas, I have not found the answer. This current situation is not an indication that I am losing my athletic skills or due to injury, because I still show flashes of brilliance now and again, and I'm not hurt... it is simply not consistent. Which I attribute to a mental issue. So after this lengthy diatribe, I realize that other things in my life: my family, my relationships, my career, friends... these are the things that weigh on my mind, and direct my focus from being a great athlete, to a wandering mind. In short: I need a break, which is what I intend to do over the next week. All of the teams are on hiatus for a couple weeks, so I will take this time to heal my brain.

- Tom.