Team Mates Step Up · Total Goalkeeping

Team Mates Step Up

So Teddy had his 1st really negative experience as a keeper this weekend. His team took part in the annual SCI tournament in our local area and teams from all over the place decended on our town to take part. Also involved were a number of local sides, including his teams biggest rivals, a team that is full of Teddy's JPL Saturday team Mates. Typically they faced them in the first game and the whole thing was pretty tense in the build up (in a friendly sort of way) bragging rights as well as tournament points on the line... Teddy's team were to kick off and as they often do, the ball was played straight back to him in goal to then build play from the back, they have done this all season with great success.... Not this time !! Inexplicably, the ball rolled back to Teddy (with some pace I have to say) but instead of his usual, calm control and pass, the ball somehow went right under his studs and into the goal. They were 1 - 0 down inside 5 seconds with none of their opponents touching the ball... There was absolute silence, the opposition didn't know whether to celebrate, the ref looked like he just wanted to start the game again but knew he couldn't. Honestly it was horrible. I've never been so desperate to just go and scoop up my lad and take him somewhere else, anywhere else in that moment would have been better than being stood there with the whole of two teams looking at him in absolute disbelief...

Then something amazing happened... One of his team mates came and gave him a hug, then another and then another. Before we knew it the whole team were in a huddle, no instructions from the manager or parents, they just did it to support Teddy. I could have cried. They reset and went again, pass back to Teddy and the game went on, just they were 1 - 0 down.

Obviously the whole thing affected them all, they lost that game 3 - 1 but never lost again in the tournament, qualified for the final before coming 2nd on penalties...

I learnt a lot watching that situation, I learnt that no matter how much prep you do, mistakes happen, I learnt that my boy is a brave, strong character who can take hits better than I even thought he could and I learnt that he is part of a brilliant group of boys who he is lucky to call his team mates. So proud of him and of all of them for the support and fight they showed for each other this weekend.

As for Teddy, he had a decent if not outstanding tournament, he kept 6 clean sheets from 9 games but sadly couldn't lay a glove on any of the penalties in the final so went home with a runners up trophy only.

Sorry for the long post but I wanted to share the roller coaster of emotions that all of us GK parents go through some times (photo not from the nightmare start moment - this was just before the penalties in the final)

Hope you all had a great weekend of games 🤍🧤⚽

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