Santi got called up and played his first game ever for Waterloo "A" tonight. It was an away game in London, against a team called SouthEnd United. He could barely sleep last night, after he found out he was needed tonight.
I was a little concerned, because I know how different this level is. The game is way more physical, and you're moving the whole time, because the ball comes to you more often. I wondered if Santi would be up to the challenge; well, he was.
He played about 15 minutes on each half, and he did very well. He put a couple of really good passes in the first half, and actually got shots on net during the second. That's when he gave everybody a lesson in not giving up.
He had four chances of scoring. The first one went wide, and he missed the ball in the second. But he wouldn't give up; he kept trying, even harder than before. The next chance he had, he sent a great shot that hit the post and went away. He looked at me in disbelief, but still kept on trying. As the game was coming to an end, and with the score 4-1 for Waterloo, he got his last chance. The ball was sent to his side and he went for it, along with another forward. This guy -Patric- was nice enough to let Santi try again, and so he did. His shot went in right by where the post meets the crossbar. Impossible to save for the goalie, and an outstanding goal.
He was subbed immediately after that. His teammates were congratulating him on his way out. He was beaming.
Now that's determination. He went there to show everybody -including himself- that he belonged there; that he can play at a higher competitive level. And he did, playing a very good game, and even scoring a goal. He tried and failed, tried again and failed again. But he persevered until he achieved his goal.
Perhaps it's a silly example, but I really hope that not only he got that perseverance from us, but also that I have the same determination when I am unable to succeed at first. God knows how hard it is sometimes.
Santi has, once again, taught me a valuable lesson. And I couldn't be prouder.
Epa! Como estamos de a poquito reformando el weblog...! Muy bien!
ReplyDeleteMe gustan los cambios.
Bueno, tampoco la pavada. Solo cambie unos colores, y agregue algun que otro link y una foto.
ReplyDeleteEn realidad, si, es una reforma despues de todo.
Tambien modere los comentarios, a pesar de que a mi no me visitan mucho. Es una pena, porque tengo tres o cuatro personas a las que le gusta comentar, pero una -por ahora- a la que le gusta molestar...