A Winning Smile

I have two sons. The older one is fairly athletic, loves most sports, is pretty coordinated. The younger is not quite so inclined and has, for the most part, avoided team sports. He does play soccer, though, mostly because his older brother has coached him, nurtured him, and encouraged him in the sport. It has been fun to watch the two of them bond over that activity. Despite the coaching, my younger son developed some very bad habits in running. He tended to run hunched over, pushed off from his heels, and had a shuffling gait. I didn't know if this was just a bad habit, the result of an injury or physical problem, or just lack of strength or practice. I finally found a physical therapist who specializes in sports performance and sports injuries. On Monday we had a one hour appointment and he identified the problem as mainly a lack of muscle strength in the lower back and pelvis and weak hamstrings. He prescribed an exercise regime.

Now, I know that not much could change in just a few days, but last night my son did seem to be more comfortable running and look better on the field. Maybe it was just the confidence of the trainer, or a psychological boost of being told he will get better. But the highlight came when, late in the 4th quarter, he scored what turned out to be the winning goal for his team. This is a boy, who as his brother says, sits at the loser table at lunch. He is not part of the "jock" crowd, he's a little nerdy. All of a sudden he is the team hero. The smile that he wore for the rest of the evening was unbeatable. His teammates lifted him up in bear hugs, gave high fives, and he glowed. He walked off the field taller and more confident. It is one of those moments that you want to just bottle up and save. I think no matter what happens the rest of his sports career, he will remember this game. I was so happy to see him with that winning smile.