Never Stop Kicking...
Last weekend I had an opportunity to play in a charity soccer tournament. It was a great time. We played 3 games in 98 degree temperatures. Wow, who would have thought 3 months ago that I would be able to play 3 soccer games in those temps and enjoyed it.
I had the support of my family cheering me on and that helped a bunch.
During the last game I was really motivated to score a goal. In the middle of the game I mustered up all my strength and made one last attempt at scoring. I stole the ball from a player and proceeded to dribble up the field. I could see the other players were tired and slowing down so I dribbled faster. As I approached mid-field, I began to outpace my competitors and so I dribbled faster. I got closer to the goal and I could see there were just two people to beat and so I dribble faster. As the adrenaline coursed through my veins, I dribble past the two remaining players and took a shot.
The ball rolled to the right of the goalie and hit just the tips of his fingers. It continued on a slow roll towards the goal. As it neared the goal I almost wanted to "will" it into the goal. At the last moment, one of the defenders ran and kicked it out of the goal. He kicked it out as the ball nearly rested on the goal line.
Oh man, all that effort to miss the goal. And to be so close was the hardest part. Then I heard a little voice from behind the goal. It was my son. He had been watching the whole thing from right behind the goal. I heard him yell the most amazing advice....he yelled, "never stop kicking dad".
I think he may have heard me yell something similar to him as I coached his soccer team, but the impact was profound. Upon yelling this to me, he then proceeded to give me a thumbs up from behind the goal, and my wife captured the moment with her camera.
So have you ever failed? We all have. It is easy to give up when we fail. But I would offer the sage advice of a 6 year old boy and tell you to "never stop kicking". Even if you missed your goal. My mom gained 1 pound but chose to never stop kicking and lost 3 lbs the next week.
Thanks Cole for teaching this old dog some new tricks!
posted by Peter @ 5:46 AM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Pete,
As I was reading your blog it occured to me what a great life lesson "never stop kicking' and the really important things in life are not whether we win or lose but who we have behind the goal line with their thumbs up cheering us on.If we can hold on to that and never lose sight of the important things in life we are winners already.
Love mom
Macie May with her tiny pink & black soccer shoes wanting to kick the ball around with daddy. Cole saying, "great job dad!" with the thumbs up for you. You running around giving it your all and sticking with that ball. Doesn't get much better than that on a Saturday afternoon :-)
From the mouth of our little Peanut..NEVER STOP KICKING!
Let's bust out some fat burning, energy boosting, mood lifting workouts this week!!!!!
Dix is kicking the dust up!
xoxoxo
your wife
Hey Pete just letting you know iam facing a giant last flight was in 1959 and landed in a firey plain almost crash so never wanted to fly again.Well going to Chicago to visit Lisa and Brian yep iam doing what your handsome boy yelled to you never quit kicking that ball or as your Mom would tell me during Chemo "Buck up frannie Annie You can make it.Thanks once more for your family is truly a inspriration.
I know Pete this my second e-mail.Well i just want you to know how well your Mom and is doing .Wow she puts me to shame.She has really done very well and never expects much from me but for herself wow its just wonderful to see her very committed to this weight lose .She told me today when ever she feels like blowing it she just thinks of you Pete says your name a few times and then she does well again.So keep up you two are so good for me to watch you both are just what i need .Your both so strong and committed and it has challenge me to follow in the Challenge .Thanks Frannie
Post a Comment
<< Home