| Recently, I was a member of a mission group of 15 | | | | coaches to help the kids improve their performance. |
| people that traveled from Minco, Oklahoma, to Nuevo | | | | We have made it possible for parents and other |
| Progresso, Mexico. Among our group were two | | | | spectators to watch them play their game by having |
| pre-teeners and two teenagers. The purpose of our | | | | the games played in the evenings and weekends. We |
| trip was to build two concrete block homes for a | | | | have built playing fields with lights and we have |
| Mexican family. As we worked, some of the Mexican | | | | provided seats for the spectators. |
| kids in the neighborhood came over to watch what | | | | Within those constraints, it is essential that we keep all |
| we were doing and they and our kids got together in | | | | of the positive features of the game in perspective. |
| that very natural way that kids do things. They talked | | | | And, furthermore, and perhaps above all, we must not |
| and got acquainted; the difference in language was not | | | | replace the joy of playing the game for the kids with |
| a barrier. | | | | the needs and goals of Coaches and Parents. If we |
| But they simply had to do more than talk to each | | | | adults are to participate, we must do so by becoming |
| other. Kids are designed for playing games. Soon there | | | | responsible members of the team and we must share, |
| appeared an old but serviceable soccer ball and the | | | | with our kids, all of the joys and pains that are the |
| games began. They played hard. They had a lot of | | | | natural elements of the venture - The Kids and the |
| fun. They laughed a lot. Nobody kept score. The | | | | Game |
| lineups were different every time they played. If | | | | Are the kids on your team, in your league, in your |
| someone scored a goal, the other "team" took the ball | | | | home, having as much fun playing their game as did |
| and came right back. We adults didn't participate in any | | | | our kids and the Mexican kids in Nuevo Progresso? If |
| way; we just enjoyed watching them. We didn't take | | | | not, why not? What has gotten in the way? I firmly |
| over and give them rules or do any "coaching." Those | | | | believe that kids can have as much fun in an |
| were kids playing a kids' game and enjoying the game | | | | organized league, with uniforms, with rules, with |
| and enjoying each other. | | | | coaching, with spectators, with winning and success, |
| Now let's take a look at what we're doing. We have | | | | and yes, even with losing, but it's going to take a lot of |
| our kids playing kids' games, such as Soccer, in | | | | hard work, right thinking, and right action by those of us |
| organized teams and leagues. We have put them into | | | | who have leadership responsibility. We have a lot of |
| uniforms and given them names so as to establish an | | | | work to do on this. |
| identity for the team. We have formalized the rules, | | | | Incidentally, before we left Nuevo Progresso, our group |
| the playing field, the length of time to be played. We | | | | bought some gifts to leave with our new friends in |
| have determined that in each event, there is to be a | | | | Mexico -- among the gifts were two new 'footballs' for |
| winner and a loser. We have brought in or designated | | | | the kids. |