If Life is Soccer...

The Soccer Season started as usual. Known and unknown faces,  bright players and other players trying soccer for the first time, not really sure what they were doing and whether they wanted to play. But they were a team and had a nice coach, good kids and even a website (done by yours truly!).

The Tornadoes

From the start, it was obvious that the Green and the Yellow teams were the top contenders. We won games easily against the Blue team, but lost to the Yellow team and tied with the Green Team.

All I wished for the season was for Bianca to have fun, to learn some and play with her BFF Emily, since they are going to different schools now. 

However, this season turned out to be much more than just that. It gave me a hint what kind of person Bianca is becoming and  I am so very proud of her.

Bianca was never the top scorer. #6 was. #6 was a physical player, a gifted athlete I’m sure but  with one downfall: he likes the ball! Too much sometimes, as it became evident in the finals.

We played the first final against the Yellow Team to whom we had lost before. Whoever won the game would play against the winner of the Green vs. Blue Team. We all knew it would be the Green team. In all sincerity, I was expecting the Tornadoes to lose. As I said, my expectations for this championship were not high result-wise. I was happy, as long as they didn’t finish in last! 

Emily celebrating her goal in a very difficult game.

On the ride to the soccer field, I knew she was pumped by the way she was singing her songs. I talked to her too, that this was the final, that she had to give everything if she wanted the gold medal but she would still get a medal even if they lost, but the gold medal was only for the winners. I also told her that at the end of the day, what mattered the most was to be able to say that she  had tried her best. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose and it’s ok to lose but of course it feels better to win (Hello Yo Gabba, Gabba!). Apparently, our prep talk combined with her fierce spirit that morning helped, she opened the score.  We scored a second. I was cautiously optimistic. All of the sudden,  the Yellow Team scored 3 and that would determine how the game would be – very tight! The game was tough and very nervous and for us,  parents,  even more. I was relieved no one understood my curses in Portuguese!

We had a personal offenses from both teams, we had own goals.  I even played coach and asked the coach not to take the two top scorers all at once from the team when we were down by 3 goals. We had Emily leaving because the other team player  kicked her on the leg, Bianca left crying because her own team mate pushed her and she fell. We talked, she came back and scored as she did previously in the season. And the game ended 5 -5. We needed our best players on the field. Only that the best of the best wanted to win so much, that he would take the ball from his own team mates and would not score.  All of the sudden, #6  who had been the top scorer of our team was also the downfall of the team.  He finally did  score to my personal relief, as other parents were pretty mad at him too. And the Tornadoes would play against the Green for the trophy. Phew…

Miss B celebrating the tight victory over the Yellow Team

That Green team had 2 girls that were at least 7, judging by their size. They are mean girls that push around and say mean things, I very well remembered from the past game. I would rather lose to the Yellow team than having to lose to them. 

The much bigger and mean girls that ended up not being a threat after all!

 The final match was actually a walk in the park. Bianca scored again a couple of times and defended to perfection. End of game: Tornadoes 5 vs. 2 Green. The mean girls lost. Life is fair for once!!! The Tornadoes and parents were on cloud 9!

Miss B scoring one of her goals.

Celebrating the Championship title.

Girlie Power!

Physique and natural talent some times are just not enough. Olympians are much more than that. They are talented, they have great physique but they are also required to have a team spirit, to be determined and focused and not to crack under pressure.

It is not only about talent and physique, but about the attitude! Miss B and her "game face".

 If the tale of the finals is any indication of how life as a battle that it is will be fought by Bianca, I am relieved to see a little girl that is focused, a fighter and hustler that never gives up and plays her best when pressured.  Bianca, my Miss B, perulitinha was not the top scorer of the game I don’t think, but she made it happen that day. She was the MVP who defended mercilessly and scored more than all of her previous games combined. She was the MPV that day but she is my MVP every day.

My Golden Girl, my forever MVP