Dad

It was an adult vs. kids competition, and my dad was in goal on the kids’ side. Unfortunately, the problem with playing adults is that you run the risk of getting someone opposing you who is potentially mildly professional. My dad got one step worse.

The opposing player wasn’t a superstar, but he did play on a professional team. And that was a problem because at the moment it was just the two of them. And no, I do not mean that no one else had shown up. I mean that it was a penalty, and it was up to my dad against this big, professional striker to either block or concede.

The man (because it’ll be a miracle if I remember his name) lined up his shot. My dad, in a split-second, wondered what he should do. Once the ball was in the air, the chances were slim to nothing that he’d be able to react quickly enough. What to do?

As a dancer, I can appreciate the mechanics of what he chose to do. First, all his weight went on his left foot as the man was running up to take his shot. This is not recommended for goalies to do because lunging one way and just guessing before the ball is in the air is bad. Once the striker knows which way you’re going, they go the other way.

But my dad’s plan didn’t end with the lunge. Off his left foot he sprang as the ball hurled through the air, using the natural spring to get his momentum. His hands made contact with the ball, and the penalty was a fail.

This is what I usually take away from this story: Sometimes things are not always as they seem. One moment, my dad was going for the left of the goal, and the next moment he was saving the goal on the right side!