Soccer Chick played her first high school game of the season on Tuesday. It was an easy victory.
After the game, Soccer Chick and I left for home. I could tell she was mad, and I wondered what I had done wrong this time. Simply breathing can be cause for disagreements these days.
However, she wasn’t mad at me…surprise, surprise.
She was mad about some things that had happened during the game. I won’t go into it, but she needed to talk, so I listened.
And listened.
And listened.
As she vented, I could tell she was starting to feel better. I let the conversation flow without saying too much. Sometimes, as you’ve probably experienced, it’s better not to say anything. Sometimes being quiet is the unspoken invitation for the other person to speak more.
She did.
Her topic changed course, and she began talking about college soccer. Oh boy, did I hold my breath. She began to tell me about the things that college soccer coaches look for when selecting players, and she quoted something a particular coach had said during one of her college visits.
I was amazed that she had paid attention and retained what she had heard.
Then she went on to talk about the college we had visited a few weeks ago. If you’ll remember, that was a strange weekend…very frustrating because we didn’t really know how she felt about the experience.
Well, she answered all of my unspoken questions by talking about how much she had loved the visit, loved the campus, loved the fact that the soccer program is supported by the college administration and other students, and loved the living facilities. And she went on to talk about how much she loves the coaches — a very important factor when considering colleges.
Wow! I was blown away and touched that she trusted me enough to let me see into her heart. It rarely happens. There has been so much friction the last couple of years that having a rational conversation with the girl has been difficult.
These are the kinds of conversations that parents treasure. You don’t take these moments for granted either because you know how few and far between they can be during the adolescent years.
It’s clear to me that Soccer Chick is figuring things out. Occasionally, she needs a sounding board. I’m more than happy to oblige.
Filed under: soccer | Tagged: college, soccer, teenagers | Leave a comment »
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