When It Pours, It Hails

Off I went to my soccer game yesterday. As mentioned before, I play in the Grand Masters League here in Spokane. (That's a euphemism for "old people's league.") The skies were gray - actually, a little black - but I drove to the fields anyway. And let pass in front of me the softball players who were rushing to get out of the rain - oops, hail. Yes indeed, it started to hail. When I finally found the field where we were playing (I never pay attention to the schedule - I just know I need to be at "the fields" for the 4:30 "start" time), I thought - well, we can't really be playing in the hail. And wind. That to me was the capper - when the hail, which already hurts, is blown into you...

And yet I could see my team, playing in the distance. Limping along is a better description. But they all were out and about. At almost-48 (two more days!), I'm still one of the youngest on my team. "If they can play, then I should be able to do this," I grumbled to myself as I sat in the car and put my gear on (shinguards, socks, cleats) (extra sweatshirt).

By the time I got to the field, my green sweatshirt was speckled with white. Seriously, the hail was sticking. I kept looking to the sky for lightning. That'll stop the game....

And then, it was great. The sun never really came out much, but it did stop hailing and then, gradually, stopped raining. The field was soggy but manageable. Our team was losing (no surprise there) but then we scored two goals and made it interesting.

I haven't quite gotten into the groove yet this year. Oh, I've had my good plays - been like a vacuum here and there, sucking the ball out from under an opposing forward... Usually it's because some guy (we play co-ed) underestimates my timing abilities and thinks he can just breeze on past me (and gets suckered out of the ball instead). And then once, last week, I managed to get smacked hard enough with the ball to leave a partial octagon shape on my thigh, just like a badge of honor.

But I am way, way out of shape this year.... didn't play last fall, is part of it I'm sure... Sometimes all I can be is a body on the field that blocks an otherwise open avenue. But we are "short" women this year - only have four signed up when every game we actually need five - so my team is just happy I'm there, even if that's all I can be in any given moment.

Besides, we're having fun. As someone on the other team pointed out yesterday, the scouts are no longer watching from our sidelines, so we have to do this for some reason other than our high ambitions. And we're still willing to be out there, even when it hails. Talk about playing for the love of the game...