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Tuesday, 02 February 2010 00:00 |
Calder House’s mini-bus barked, faithfully, into action on the wintry afternoon of Wednesday, 27th of January 2010. In the back, a meditative hum from eleven Under 13s boys on the way to football matches, hosted at Grittleton School, against Westonburt and Grittleton. Their hum like a machine in ‘rest’ mode.
A rat-a-tat-tat of studs against tarmac at the other end, and as our boys approached the game already in play between Westonburt and Grittleton, I noticed how our lads were viewing the action through slitted eyes, soaking up the opposition. I reflected upon how Calder House’s footballers had become so much more strategic and ‘grown-up’ since our very first game ‘away’ over a year ago.
“Watch the blue side,” said one of our boys, “. . . They’re good. They’re gonna be tough.”
“How do you know that?” I asked, genuinely curious, as we had not been around long enough for them to work this out.
“Because they’re wearing Blue, Mr Perks,” came a reply brimming with impatience, as if he had been the teacher and I the child - his observation a statement of the obvious.
Then I understood the thinking. They were wearing blue tops. LIKE US.
Somewhere along the line, our boys have come to associate the colour blue with success, or, at least, with a force to be reckoned with. Why? Because Calder House’s school football kit is blue. That our young footballers had made this mental transition from assuming we were going to lose, to believing in success (sometimes against the odds) is more important than I can record here in words.
Eight minute turn-a-rounds made for some very pacey football that afternoon. Calder House worked as a real team: for the first time, in my experience of watching them, they seemed to understand what a team is for . . . what it is about. That a ‘team’ working as it should will always be successful, because it can compensate for any mistakes made through shear collective effort.
And I was not the only one to notice. One of our parents said: “What are you doing with these boys during break-time?” as she watched us dominate possession against Westonburt, going on to win one-nil.
An analysis of why we won? Eleven good reasons.
Could have been Lewis’ words of confidence and inspiration as captain. Might have been James’ nifty foot-work, especially where pressed against the line, cornered by no less than four of the opposition, yet somehow making this smallness of space work for him. Zac’s dogged chasing of the ball? Ben J’s tenacious charges? Ben F’s daring (but legal!) challenges? Gus’ terrier-like hounding of the opposition? Brodie’s support of the strikers, always there for them, just in case? Elliot’s ability to find a space, where I was sure none had existed? Isaac’s almost glue-like ability to stay with a ball? Kyle’s ‘never say die’ attitude? Toby’s quiet, but determined, pluck . . . his readiness to sacrifice personal possession of the ball for allowing others ‘a touch’?
On this wave of success, Calder House were carried into the next game against Grittleton. Although Grittleton dominated in terms of possession, and occupancy of our half of the pitch, we went on to score the first goal, placing the ball perfectly in the corner, low into the net where the opposition’s goal-keeper was never going to reach it. Indeed, this game would have gone to us, too, though a certain Mr Perks allowed it to run on beyond time. In the ninth minute, Grittleton levelled.
Initially, I though I might suffer recriminations for having allowed Grittleton this chance against my own school. But, no. Calder House accepted the outcome with humility, knowing that Grittleton had fought hard, and deserved this outcome as much as Calder House deserved it. And for that, I congratulate my boys. Being magnanimous is a difficult thing to teach boys of this age, especially when they have sweat their guts out for an afternoon. Yet, there it was . . . in our lads.
As always, I am proud of my school. There is now a trust between our children that was not always there. More than this, there is an appreciation that how we approach a situation can impact the outcome. Enter into a challenge thinking the worse will happen, and that is what you get. Start with a little self-belief, and the opposite happens.
Mr Perks |
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