Chapter 17: Doing Things Well

When Donny started out in soccer he was the best player.  He was faster and could kick the ball better; he could do fancy footwork and make other kids miss the ball. His coach told him he was a natural and even used him to show the other kids how to play. He didn’t have to practice much because he was just good and his Coach let him rest so he would be fresh for the games.

In his first year he scored five winning goals and was a big hero for the team.

But that was last year.  Now, he is struggling to even get on the team.  He has moved up an age bracket and has a new Coach.  The kids were bigger, faster and really organized. He just wants to play but they have to do all these drills all the time.

The coach just named the starting players and for the first time Donny will be a sub.  He probably won’t even play in the real games.

He is thinking about giving it up.

What should he do?

• Tell his coach he wants to take a year off until he grows a bit
• Just show up because he said he would knowing he won’t ever really play
• Practice as hard as he can even if he may never get back in the starting group
• Find a team that’s at his own level so he can be the best

What would you do?

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