View Workout (Anthony Belber)
It's been 27.5 years since I played soccer...
November 11, 2019 (Afternoon)
Exercise Type: Other
Weather: lovely, 60s, sun setting (On my soccer career too)
Comments:
...and it shows. Word reached me that the members of the cc team who used to play soccer at GDS were taking on those cc runners who never tried playing soccer at GDS. I pulled out my 30 year-old indoor shoes, my summer league soccer socks, soccer shorts (which I wear on most runs anyhow), the long-sleeve jersey my uncle brought back from England for me in 1986 and my varsity jacket from HS. None of it helped make up for the fact that I can only run straight ahead now. My shoes, in fact, had experienced such intense dry-rot that the soles flapped off for the back 2/3rds of each shoe before we even kicked off. (I ripped them off and played tractionless.) All this said and done, I had a blast for all 90 minutes of play! Started with the "non-GDS soccer" team and after we took the lead, I switched over to the "former GDS soccer" team to help balance numbers. Feeling mixed allegiances, I knocked in two own goals to ensure they/we would loose. Not sure they'll forgive me, but I don't want any of them thinking they should switch back to soccer. Learned a few more things about our runners...
Arthur D-V is willing to step in front of any flying ball, no matter how hard it has been struck. Tabitha Lynn can successfully defend against multiple attackers with no extra help, Daniel Goldblatt is a very skilled keeper, We are lucky Ethan Litmans never tired out for soccer, We were just lucky Ruby left soccer because she clearly could have stuck around and helped their team, like she helped ours, Ethan Sze is a ball magnet when it comes to defending goal, Ella is willing to level people with fore-checks, Benji has Messi's knack for scoring goals, Abby doesn't smile when she plays soccer, but she gets the job done, Matt Siff hasn't lost any of the skills he had in youth soccer, and yet for all the impressive things he did yesterday, I can't recall him actually kicking the ball with his feet more than once... I could go on for some time, but I'll just finish by saying, this needs to be a new annual tradition (and it will take me year for the pains and aches I'm now experiencing to subside.)