| Introduction: As the FIFA 2010 has kicked off on June | | | | the deep sea and fight it out against the storms that |
| 11, 2010 at South Africa, there is a great feeling of | | | | come against it. Many times we have to be players at |
| euphoria and excitement all over the world about the | | | | the back, defending ourselves, our principles, our values, |
| games that encompasses the planet earth through | | | | our faith, and our lives from being pushed behind, from |
| media, news channels, news papers and Television | | | | getting bogged down. Many times there are people or |
| sets. We all love football and in India too there is a | | | | circumstances that can force us to quit. Many students |
| great fervor among the populace to watch the game | | | | encounter failures, so do many professionals and |
| even though Indian football team has never qualified | | | | businesspeople at such times we are tempted to give |
| for the biggest football event of the World. We all | | | | up but here the role of the players positioned at the |
| adore our heroes, the demi-gods like Pele, Maradona, | | | | back comes forth. We have to mark what is that is |
| Beckham, Ronaldo, Kaka, Wayne Rooney and many | | | | troubling us, go to the source of the trouble and defend |
| others. Looking closely at the game and how the | | | | ourselves. Many times we may have to defend |
| players are positioned, their role on the football stadium | | | | ourselves from the wrong company who pulls us |
| and the way the game proceeds, one cannot help but | | | | down, wrong habits that corrode our lives and wrong |
| find a great metaphor of Life in it. That's what this | | | | actions that reap the harvest of bad fruits. The Bible |
| article is all about. It is a humble dedication and | | | | says, "When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit |
| salutation to the greatest and most popular games of | | | | of the Lord will raise up a standard against him." That |
| the world. | | | | standard is the players who play the game of Soccer |
| The Field: Soccer game is played on a field of 90 to | | | | positioned at the back. |
| 120 meters length and 45 to 90 meters of width. On | | | | Midfielders: Now there are players also positioned at |
| both sides we see the goal posts. Your team which | | | | the Middle of the football pitch. Some of them are the |
| includes 11 players will be aiming to score a goal in the | | | | Left and Right Midfielders, Defensive Midfielders and |
| opposite goal post. The opposite team would be trying | | | | the Central Midfielder. These players have the duty of |
| to defend that and rather counter attacking your goal | | | | game-making. They sometimes defend as well as |
| post to score a goal. In life to you have to have goals. | | | | make the game and then pass it out to players |
| Your aim is to score goals. You cannot sit passively | | | | positioned forward. In our lives also there is a time |
| and watch while the outside circumstances counter | | | | when we have to sit and make out a strategy so that |
| attack you and make one goal after the other pushing | | | | it becomes convenient for us to reach and achieve |
| you on the back foot. You got to be proactive. You | | | | our goals. At such times we have to be the game |
| got defend sometimes but also attack. You got to | | | | makers, the Midfielders. There is a lot of scope in our |
| know where you have to reach, where you have to | | | | lives to sit and plan and organize our lives. We have to |
| score a goal. Your goals are like the lighthouse for the | | | | resort to things like Time Management Planning, Goal |
| ship which helps them to steer on the right path. | | | | Setting and writing the mission of our lives. Many times |
| Remember we are all placed on the soccer field by | | | | we have to prepare ourselves by learning different |
| the Lord Almighty. We all are players on the field, we | | | | skills and techniques so that it is convenient for us to |
| have to play our part, and we have to be proactive | | | | move ahead to reach our goals. At such times we are |
| and know our aims and do everything to reach our | | | | playing the roles of the game-makers, we are playing |
| goals. Then our life becomes exciting, and then we find | | | | the role of Midfielders. Midfielders play an important role |
| meaning to this life. So that's the first metaphorical | | | | on the field for their team, without them the players |
| lesson we glean from the soccer game. We are all | | | | that play forward who have to score goals against |
| players on the field of life and we have to score goals. | | | | the opposition would be rendered helpless. They won't |
| We have to be proactive about our goals. | | | | have anything at their disposal to go ahead and shoot |
| Positions: As the soccer games kicks off, the 11 | | | | or score. |
| players of a team are positioned on the field according | | | | Players positioned as Forwards: Finally let us look at |
| to the various roles they play. We can learn a lot of | | | | the players who are positioned forward on the soccer |
| things from the different positions they take and the | | | | field. When the Goalie defends goals for the team, the |
| various roles they play on the soccer field. | | | | players positioned behind defend from attackers and |
| Goalie: Near the goal post is placed the goalie, who | | | | the midfielders make the game, the Forwards carry |
| plays one of the most important role in a soccer | | | | the ball into the opposition's net. The players who are |
| game. He is there to defend the goals that opponent | | | | positioned forward are Deep Lying Forward, Centre |
| team hits in the net. Usually he has developed the | | | | Forward and the Winger. The main role of these |
| special ability, alacrity and alertness to prevent the | | | | players is to strike. They are always on the attacking |
| opposite team from hitting a goal in the net. He is like | | | | mode. Once they have the ball in their possession, they |
| the compound wall around our houses that prevents | | | | seek to put it across the Goalie of the opposition team |
| trespassers. In life we have to play the role of a goalie | | | | into the net. When we also defend our lives from |
| when it comes to guarding ourselves from being hit by | | | | negative attitude and thinking, when we defend |
| negative thoughts. Our minds are like the goal post. | | | | ourselves from wrong practices, principles and people, |
| The outer circumstances, people and events can try | | | | when we prepare ourselves for the opportunities that |
| to impregnate our minds with negative thoughts. We | | | | lie before us then there will come a time where our |
| should play the role of a Goalie at such times and see | | | | goals, our aims would be as clear as the Football |
| that our minds are not invaded by the thoughts that | | | | goalpost and we would be in the position to hit and |
| can pull us down and demoralize us. What happens to | | | | score. So in life we would see opportunities before us |
| a team whose Goalie is not able to defend the goals | | | | lying wide awake that would help us to hit at our goals. |
| being put in the net. The team is weakened and its | | | | It is possible that you would miss many hits, you may |
| focus from scoring goals is switched to defending | | | | hit and miss by a mile but you got to keep hitting back |
| goals. It is demoralized and is rapidly moving toward | | | | till you put the ball across the Goalie into the net. In life |
| defeat. That's exactly the picture of a person who | | | | we encounter failures, many times we miss read |
| does defend himself or herself from negative thoughts. | | | | opportunities, many times we commit errors but we |
| He or she will be weakened and will divert from his or | | | | got to get up, dust ourselves and hit again. A Japanese |
| her goals of pursuing excellence and succumb to | | | | Proverb says, "Fall down seven times; get up eight." |
| defeat in life. So playing the role of a goalie in life is | | | | Scoring a goal into the net comes through immense |
| very important, we should know to defend ourselves | | | | practice and patience and we should also inculcate |
| from negative thoughts. | | | | these two qualities when we want to reach our aims |
| Back positioned Players: In the game of Soccer, the | | | | and goals in life. So it is important role that the strikers |
| Goalie is not the only one who defends the goals. | | | | positioned forward play, for they give finishing touch to |
| There are some players positioned at the back like the | | | | the game. |
| Centre Fullback, Left-Right Fullback and the Wingback | | | | Conclusion: Friends, in the end I would like to encourage |
| who also help in defending and marking and attacking | | | | all of you to go ahead and enjoy the FIFA 2010. But I |
| the Forward players from the opposite team. The | | | | would also encourage you to look at the philosophical |
| roles that these players positioned at the back play, is | | | | side of the game, the metaphor that the game of |
| the role that reminds us that in life many times it is | | | | Soccer presents. May it excite and enthuse you with |
| important to be on the back foot and whenever the | | | | courage, confidence and capacity to enjoy, explore |
| tide is against us we should be able to keep our calm. | | | | and elevate your life to the next level. May you hit and |
| We should not be surprised that many times there are | | | | reach your goals in life, may you emerge winners and |
| people, circumstances and events that will seem to | | | | even when you feel that you have lost remember |
| pressurize us and put us behind. When you venture | | | | there's always next time. The next FIFA in 2014 at |
| out in the sea in a ship, you are bound to encounter | | | | Brazil. |
| storms. That's life! "Ships in the harbor are safe; but | | | | Joy be all yours. |
| that's not what Ships are meant for." says William | | | | Sohan. |
| Shedd. Ships are supposed to go out and venture into | | | | |