Interest VS Personality

We had soccer games yesterday. Again it went well for one daughter, not for the other.

Want to know what doesn't seem fair?

One daughter has loved soccer and sports in general, since she was old enough to kick a ball. She wants to play ball in the backyard every chance she gets, she watches ballgames with her Dad, and she really, REALLY wants to be good at sports.
She also happens to be a little shy and socially awkward.

The other daughter only started playing soccer because we signed her up, thinking it would be good for her. In the last year, she's taken a real interest in it, and will actually play soccer in the backyard now, but before last year, her sister couldn't talk her into playing with her, and she has never shown the slightest interest in any other sport. She has never seemed worried about her athletic ability. She just gets out there and tries, and whatever happens happens.
She also happens to be very outgoing .... a real social butterfly.

I never would have thought that personality could play such a big factor in sports, but I'm watching it every Saturday.

The social butterfly is everywhere on the field. She goes full speed the whole time, and she stays right in the middle of the action - which at this age, is a huddle of girls with feet flying everywhere, all trying to get control of the ball. She goes after the ball like it's HERS.

The daughter who really wants to be an athlete more than her sister, hangs back when several people are rushing to get the ball. She hesitates when it ends up near her. She's improved a lot and we never have trouble finding something in her game to praise, but it's obvious she isn't going to be aggressive enough to have many opportunities to score.

That's what doesn't seem fair.

And no matter how much we talk up the importance of good defense, scoring is what it's all about to her. The thing is, if you're going to hang your hopes on scoring, soccer is not the sport to play.

I can't wait for basketball season.


**As a postscript, the daughter who didn't do so well at soccer yesterday, got a shot in the arm tonight . I'm not one to use toys as consolation prizes -- heck I'm not one to even BUY toys, but
someone gave her a Wal-Mart gift card for her birthday two months ago and she still hadn't used it. Tonight, she and I made a little trip to the store and she found the game " Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?" -- for exactly the same amount as her gift card. She could not have been happier. Soccer game? What soccer game? And the icing on the cake was when we played the game later, she won $1000,000.