The Beast

When we last were together, I had just received a new torture device that would become a required "hobby" for the rest of my schooling at JSMS. However, today, we will talk about the other activity that dominated my life as a young boy, soccer.

When I was a wee lad of about 6, my parents signed me up to play soccer for a little team in Kingsport called Holston Valley Futbol Club (HVFC). At the time, I didn't fully understand what all was going on, but I enjoyed kicking the ball around and I quickly made friends with the boys on the team. We grew very close and over the summers we blossomed as an up and coming force in the soccer world. Under the guidance of a fiercely competitive man named Rodney, we practiced hard and improved from a rag-tag group of youngsters into a disciplined group of young men. 

I was always bigger and louder than the rest of my cohorts, so I fit best in the role of goalie. Now, this was no consolation, as I was extremely good at what I did. I learned the correct angles to cut off, the positions to be in and the calls to make from my box. As a goalie, you are very much in command of the team. You can see from a vantage point that is unique and you have to learn to take advantage of that. As, the last line of defense, you must keep your composure and command your troops as if you were at war. I commanded my box with the utmost poise and courage. At times, I was known to bark orders to be heard over the other team, coaches and eager parents. This, in combination with my fearlessness to charge an oncoming attacker, earned me the nickname/term of endearment "The Beast".

We travelled the country during the summers and played in many tournaments from Georgia to Kentucky and many states in between. Numerous trophies and accolades were accumulated and the relationships on the team grew to be unbreakable. When we travelled, we stayed in hotels and caused all sorts of mayhem. Soccer in the hallways, prank calls to innocent people, the classic ding dong ditch, and countless run-ins with managers and staff. We were truly a raucous group of children, but when it was game time, we knew what had to be done. We played with a chemistry that few teams possessed at our age, which boosted us to the top of the heap in the region. I can still name the starting 11 for our team. (Jay, Neyland, Brian, JB, Greg, Logan, Sean, Curtis, Chase, Mark and myself.) It was as a team that we had to make one of the biggest decisions of our playing careers.

As the trophies were collected at our final tournament in the summer before I started sixth grade, Rodney rounded us up and asked us all a very important question. He had been offered by the older division, to move our team up an age group for the next year. Needless to say, the boys and I were very excited yet trepidatious about this new opportunity. For a moment we were silent, then I turned to Jay, Neyland and Logan (we were the emotional leaders of the team) and we all nodded our acceptance. As a team, we decided right there that we would accept the new challenge like all the others before. 

With the prospect of being "fresh meat" at a new school, having to play much stronger teams in soccer, and having to learn a whole new instrument, the idea of middle school did not seem so innocent any longer. It would be a struggle, but with my friends, I knew I could conquer all of the tasks ahead of us, as we set out on this new adventure. 

Today's note: Friends are the key to a happy and successful life. You should always make an effort to keep contact with old friends, even if you are separated by multiple states. A burned bridge cannot be crossed.

My friend DJ Turner is a fantastic human being. He participates in Drum and Bugle Corps or, more commonly, DCI. He is a cancer survivor who is still going to participate in this activity. Go to his site and check him out. The activity isn't free and he could use a little help. You don't have to donate, but you could at least share his story. That's 100% free.

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