It's October 2, the second day of my favorite time of the year, October 1 - January 2, 2025. Fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Cooler weather isn't here yet but it's on the way. I hope.
Last night after work, alone, I began to decorate the office for Halloween. It's my thing and my law partners tolerate it but only for the month of October. Zombie heads hanging from hooks in the five large front windows of my office. Skulls everywhere. Bloody knives, clowns. The works. I do it every year. Everything goes up on September 30 (this year, October 1) and it all comes down on November 1, 2025. What can I say.
As I was getting started, I got a call from Joe on my cell. Answering it, I said, "What's up, bud?"
"I made the A team (soccer)," he replied.
"What?!? The 8th grade team?"
"Yeah. Luke and I are the only 7th graders to make it."
After three days of junior school soccer tryouts at MBA, Joe had made the A team. I could tell he was kind of stunned. Frankly, so was I.
It was a difficult decision - but the right one, I think - when Jude and I took Joe out of travel soccer this fall with Armada. He had carved out a niche as one of two goalies and team captain for the past two or three years. He has good friends on that team - Rex, Tennessee, Pike - and it was hard to give that up. Still, we knew how tough MBA would be, academically, and we wanted Joe to focus on his studies. Also, he had to participate in a school activity in the afternoons every quarter of his 7th and 8th grade years. It just didn't seem prudent to put him in a situation where, twice a week, he would go from crew practice to soccer practice, and not have dinner and start homework until almost 9 p.m.
I was worried that was it for him in soccer. I knew he planned to try out for the school team but, without practicing regularly and playing at a high level, I though it might be difficult for him to make the A team or the B team (7th grade). Boy, was I wrong.
A few of Joe's classmates and former teammates on Armada, Rex and Tennessee, made the B team. Somehow, Joe made the A team. My guess is that he will back up the starting goalie, although in Joe's inimitable fashion, he suggested to me that he's as good as the 8th grade goalie and expects to play. Either way, he will get a lot of reps against solid, 8th grade soccer players. It will help his development as a goalie.
In tryouts, I confirmed with Joe that during the scrimmage portion of all three days, he did what he normally does in goal. He was very vocal and communicative. Encouraged his teammates and constantly repositioned them where he wanted them, especially on corner kicks. In other words, he lead his teammates, even in a scrimmage. That's just what Joe does.
The Captain.
I'm so damn proud of Joe and his start at MBA. He studying diligently. Grinding, as JP calls it. He seems more mature, already, with a seriousness about him that he didn't have last year. Yes, it's a little sad, because suddenly, Joe seems more young man than child, but that's to be expected, I think, and as it should be. He's stepping up, getting in the books. He's competing, in the classroom and outside of it, which its what it takes to survive and thrive at MBA. I hope it continues. I think it will.
As Jude and Joe were leaving he MBA-Baylor football game last Friday night, she heard a bunch of boys and girls yelling "Joe!"
She looked over and saw that it was his former classmates from USN, excited to see him. He said hi, talked briefly to them, then left with Jude to go home.
The Captain.
In many ways, it was harder for Joe to leave USN than it was for JP. When JP left, he seemed to never look back. He was ready for something new. He was ready to be challenged in a different way. He didn't seem to be too concerned with who he was leaving behind at USN or who he was joining at MBA. JP didn't have time for all of that. After all, there was work to be done, goals to be achieved, and anything else was just a distraction.
Leaving USN was different for Joe. His circle of good friends was larger and tighter. He was in the middle of it all and he loved every minute of it. He was seen, known, admired, and respected by his classmates, all of which he had earned over seven years at USN. He said goodbye to all of that and started over at MBA, and I admire him for it. Staying at USN would have been easy. Leaving USN and starting at MBA was hard. The hard decisions are the ones that teach you the most, or so it seems to me.
I think Joe is on the way.
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