On the Job Training

It’s funny how things come full circle. I remember hearing my mom tell me I used to hate playing soccer. I played for one season before I can really even remember. I can only imagine it like a scene of small children running haphazardly any which way the ball goes. Well, that’s sort of the way I felt last Sunday when I joined a men’s soccer league. I was invited to join a coworker and his team out in Ciudad Sandino where I work. He even helped me find some inexpensive cleats, socks, and shin guards. Although I dug deeply into my monthly stipend, I thought it would be worth it. I’m still discerning whether or not it was. Unlike when I was a child I enjoy soccer much more, but I have to admit I can’t be much better than I was when I was seven. Ok, that’s not giving me quite enough credit, but it’s been a rough learning curve. The guys I played with were weaned on soccer and played before they could even walk. I on the other hand had my athletic awakening not until high school when I started playing rugby. Nicaraguans don’t play rugby. I don’t think a guy on the other team appreciated it when my rugby instincts came out and I laid him out on the ground. God knows why I wasn’t yellow carded. Perhaps it was because I was the token white guy. All I heard during the game was “Corra chele!” which basically just means: “Run whitey!” That’s fine advice, to run, but it would have helped to know where I was needed to run. I couldn’t even tell who was on my team because no one could afford jerseys. They all knew each other but I was lost in a sea of intimidating 20-something young men.
We had another game this Sunday. I didn’t go. I have a cold. It’s true! And I really didn’t want to play, ha. I really don’t know if I’ll go back. I honestly think they wanted me to be on the team because they thought I could help them buy jerseys for the team. When I told them about my monthly pittance I think their glowing interest in me began to diminish drastically. If I’m not bringing money to the team it isn’t like I bring much more.
The cleats will not go to waste because somehow I’ve been wrangled into coaching soccer at my school. Hmmm. This is going to be interesting. I’ve already been consulting friends on how to do this. On top of this I’ll be coaching baseball too. And, if you didn’t know, I played t-ball, and that’s about the extent of my experience. Oh, I’ve also been to a few Reds games. As Steve Poat taught me this past fall, ministry is all about on the job training. So it goes. I’m just going into it with an open mind and with the intent of having fun. I can hope for nothing more than to have a good time and give kids an athletic outlet after school. Today I was hanging out at school in the afternoon and ran into a group of older high school students loitering near the basketball court. I joined them for a pickup game of fútbol sala or indoor soccer which is basically just 5-on-5 soccer on a basketball court. We played barefoot in our work and school clothes. They wore me out but I held my own and even scored twice.
We begin practice next week. Wish me luck. If anyone has good resources for coaching soccer or baseball please pass them along. I need all the help I can get. Cheers!