Sportsmanship

Good sportsmanship is something we all should have learned as kids, but it is also something a lot of people don't know anything about.  Well I am going to tell you about one team that knows a little something about it, and they have proof. 

The Hartland Havac Gold U12 girls select soccer team, Ryann's team, is that team.  Not only am I a proud parent, but I am also a very proud assistant coach on this team.  These girls work hard and play hard, however they are learning that soccer is a physical sport.  They get pushed and bumped and knocked down, but never give up.  This was the story a few weeks ago when we played in a tournament up in Midland.  It was the girls first tourny ever and they were out matched for the most part; in fact they did not win a game.  But we could not be more proud of them, because as I said they never gave up.  After every game they made a tunnel for the other team to run though as they cheered "2,4,6,8, who do we apriciate?"  But that is only a small thing they did to show there sportsmanship.

The big thing, the one I and the other coaches and parents are proud of, came in the final game against a very good team from Saginaw, the Saginaw Storm.  They were down in our end pushing toward our goal when one of our defenders stepped up and made a play on the ball.  She kicked the ball and it went directly off the face of one of the girls from the other team and she immediatly went down.  Are girls all stopped in there tracks and went to a knee even though the play was still going and they almost scored.  The girl had to leave the game with a swollen nose and a nose bleed.   The game ended a couple of minutes later and after they all shook hands and did the tunnel, some of our girls went over to the other side line to make sure the girl that got hit was ok.

Some people may say big deal, however for a team of 10 and 11 year old girls to stop a game and worry more about an apponent who got hurt then the game itself, and then to go on their own to the other team to make sure she was ok says a lot. It is nice to see these girls have been taught from their parents and coaches what good sportsmanship is all about.  Not to mention what great all around girls they are in the first place.

Now for the proof of this incident.  The Hartland Soccer Club recieved a letter from the parents of the young lady that was injured.  These parents took the time to send this letter to comend our girls for the sportsmanship they showed toward their daughter.  It is one of those things that makes me as a parent and a coach very proud, and I hope this is something all the girls will remember.  Everyone involved with Hartland Soccer should be proud of these girls.  They represented Hartland Soccer and did it with great sportsmanship.

That is my opinion as a proud father and coach.