Very early start today as we head up to Lagrangeville for an 8am kick off. Ray is coaching the U15s, Danny is late and we play FC Westchester. The parents are restless and turn on the boys as they struggle to contain a very strong FC side. Danny S comes over at half time to scold them for negative behaviour and I add my two pennys worth. The mood is savage as we lose 5-0! I feel bad for Steven and Chavo who have to drive 2 hours back to their tournament in LI. Ted has a cracking header that flies over the bar.
"If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat these two imposters just the same..."
I love these two lines from Rudyard Kipling's poem, If. Our inability to do this is corroding, especially when it comes to kids' sport
The parents meeting goes well and Ray gives some back to the parents and we head back to Hastings where no-one comes to pick up the swingset so we turn round and drive an hour back up to the tournament for another beating, this time 2-5. This one was avoidable - stupid mistakes turn a great comeback into a loss. The mood is not good as we head back.
