“We are never more fully alive, more completely ourselves, or more deeply engrossed in anything than when we are playing.”

Charles Schaefer

This was the official reason we flew to Michigan for this weekend. “Grandaddy,” Mr. T. said on a video call a few weeks ago, “can you please come and watch me play my soccer game?”

You bet! And so we did.

Saturday was a perfect, brilliant, 65-degree fall day, loaded with sunshine and fall colors and green grass and bouncing seven-year-olds and enthusiasm and parents. The soccer complex is huge, with dozens of fields and it seemed that most of the town was there.

Our grandson’s team did a great job. They appear on the cusp of really getting the basic concept of how soccer works as a team sport. Several players are so close to seeing the big picture that they break through occasionally and it is easy to see why this is called The Beautiful Game.

And one of those promising players is our very own Mr. T.. He plays both as goalie and in the middle of the field, demonstrating poise and balance, moving with elegance and intention. He scored the first goal of the game and he was always in the middle of the action.

I really appreciated our team’s unique “parent arch” after the end of the game. As you can see in the video, the opposing team love it too. And that, at the end of the day, is what really counts: fun, affirmation, learning, healthy competition, mutual encouragement and the joy of a great game.

Play is not a break from learning, it is learning of the highest order.

Oh, and our grandson and his friends won the lottery with his coach. Kudos and props to him for knowing how to talk with seven-year-olds, teach them to do their best while having fun, and keep everything in its proper balance.

In this world, building community is a huge plus. Also, learning to be competitive while at the same time valuing mutual respect is something we all could learn from – must learn from.

Win? You bet! Staying humble and loving the other team? We absolutely have to.

The victory arch is for the game, not for the score, – DEREK