The stepover

[WickerBill]

Last night was my son's final practice for spring soccer. His last game is Saturday. So to celebrate, I suppose, the coach decided the whole practice would be these 8 and 9 year olds vs. the parents, full field. There were only six of us parents there, and about 11 children, so it wasn't as terribly one-sided as it might seem -- plus most of us were still in work attire, so we got the full effect of shin knocks from those brutal kids.

Moving on... my son was moved from defense to the front about halfway through, and almost immediately latched onto a long pass and found himself one-on-one with the keeper, an approximately 40 year old man with no discernible sporting ability.

The boy decides he's going to use some mis-direction to fake out this guy.

Now, he's not done this before except in the back yard of our house, but he's worked very hard on some of the tricks he sees watching soccer on TV. One of the moves is called a "stepover", where the person possessing the ball swings a foot over the ball which makes (hopefully) the defender think he's swinging to strike the ball one direction, then the other foot is used to make the ball go a different direction.

About eight yards away from the keeper, the boy performs his stepover, so well that the goalie literally moves a couple yards in the wrong direction before he realizes the ball is going toward the other corner of the goal. So he tries to very, very quickly reverse course to get to the ball which is headed into the net.

There's a horrifyingly loud snapping sound. The guy crumbles down to the ground, howling. A couple hours later, after he is taken away on a stretcher and goes to hospital, we find out the guy has a fractured lower tibia.

My son, with his excellent stepover move, has quite literally broken the guy's ankle.


Question: Am I allowed to be proud?

[rabbit]

Question: Am I allowed to be proud?

I would be. :D:thumbup: (Just keep it hush-hush.)

[emjaya]

Of course you are.

A move that he had practised hard to perfect and he pulled it off. Be proud of his hard work.

The leg breaking was not his fault. A good way to point out why he should always drink his milk.

[FTG]

You and your baby's momma should both be proud. Give your shortie mad props for his ankle bustin.

[Andrew Longman]

Absolutely.

And be glad it wasn't your ankle.

And don't let him practice with you in the backyard.

[WickerBill]

Haha... I don't think anybody who watches any soccer on TV would be as faked out as that guy was... so probably not a lot of potential for him to ever do that kind of damage again.

I can't stop grinning when I think about it, and that makes me feel like I'm reveling in someone's misery.

[Sean O'Gorman]

I would be more ashamed that my son plays soccer than proud that he injured someone. ;)

[Methanolandbrats]

:thumbup: Sure you should be proud. It's not like he beat a good keeper, but he used a move that was new. At that age it is vital to encourage experimentation and creativity and let the players know it's ok to make mistakes. As far as the backyard goes, make sure he practices everyday if he can. Take some balls to the park and shoot, practice footskills without pressure and gradually increase the pace. Then add pressure. If he can round up a few friends, a lot of 1v1 and 4v4 defending, attacking and passing games will lead to rapid improvement. Youth players have to be continually reminded to work everyday, not just a couple times a week at practice. PM me for some practice games if you want to. I coach U16 Classic Girls.

[RichK]

I rarely laugh at loud at a forum post, but this was one of those. :laugh:

Awesome story, I would be very proud as well.

[Warlock!]

I thought for sure at the end of the story you were going to reveal that you were, in fact, "the keeper". Maybe next time. :D

[G.]

Question: Am I allowed to be proud?

Did the kids win?

Did your boy give some good smack to the keeper?

These are the questions that must be answered, then your question will answer itself.





(great story!)

[Ankf00]

Your son in 15 years: http://youtube.com/watch?v=N19h4N7o4Q0

http://www2.hornfans.com/wwwthreads/images/icons/smokin.gif

[oddlycalm]

No reason in the world you can't be proud of your son's play at the same time you are sympathetic to the 40yr old now on crutches.

oc

[cameraman]

Question: Am I allowed to be proud?

In a word, yes.
:thumbup:

[WickerBill]

Your son in 15 years: http://youtube.com/watch?v=N19h4N7o4Q0

http://www2.hornfans.com/wwwthreads/images/icons/smokin.gif


Daaang.

[Insomniac]

Question: Am I allowed to be proud?

Absolutely. Doesn't mean you're revelling in what happened to the other guy.

[Andrew Longman]

Daaang.

Daaang is right. Triple crossover. Give the defender credit he hung in for two of them. Toast on the third. :D

[chop456]

Nice. :D

He should try one of these next time: http://youtube.com/watch?v=oNY2aMnbj9U

[dando]

I can't stop grinning when I think about it, and that makes me feel like I'm reveling in someone's misery.

Well, then perhaps you should repent for celebrating the Colts SB victory then. ;)

-Kevin

[Methanolandbrats]

Your son in 15 years: http://youtube.com/watch?v=N19h4N7o4Q0

http://www2.hornfans.com/wwwthreads/images/icons/smokin.gif Hell of a ball from the mid to set that up. Nice video, thanks.

[JoeBob]

Did the kid score?

[WickerBill]

Yes, absolutely. The ball was probably past the line as the *snap* occured. That's the sad bit -- the guy really had no chance, he should have just stood there instead of trying to be Peter Schmeichel.

[Kahauna Dreamer]

racing incident—er, soccer incident ;)

[Ankf00]

Yes, absolutely. The ball was probably past the line as the *snap* occured. That's the sad bit -- the guy really had no chance, he should have just stood there instead of trying to be Peter Schmeichel.

let's be honest here, the guy sets a bad example for the kids by not drinking enough milk to support and sustain healthy bones :D

[manic mechanic]

Yo 'bill,

Good on your son for executing the move:thumbup: ...but count your blessings:

I'm 45 and played GK for 20 years, and had I been the one in the cage not only would it have turned out differently, it could have been downright UGLY!

I feel for the guy who lost an ankle, but at OUR age, your advice about the guy not even trying to stop the shot is spot on....

...Discretion truly IS the better part of valor in a case like that.

I'll look for the young "gurney flap" in NCAA division 1 in about 10 years.

manic

[Duroc]

Why wait ten years? Get the Columbus Crew on the horn. They suck.