After raising two sons (now in college) and coaching boys teams at the U-10, U-12, and U-14 levels, my wife thinks this to be an appropriate twist of fate. We met at the Players' Orientation and as I called out the names to find who would be on my team, the "girliest girls" came forward. They were all pink ribbons and long blond hair. When they heard they were on the same team as a friend, they squealed in delight and jumped up and down in unison.
When it came time to choose a team name, I was focused on something that would inspire terror into our opponents - the Vandals or the Tigers. One young lady shyly suggested that "'The Little Princesses' would be nice." I was dumbfounded! Fortunately, a parent suggested they have a name after a sea creature. Again, I was voting for Piranhas or Sharks. We became the "Dolphins." So our banner shows a dolphin adroitly flicking a ball with her fin. And, yes, you can tell the dolphin in the banner is a female ... by her long lashes, mascara and eyeliner!
I find myself talking a lot about the Dolphins. A counselor friend of mine says it's because they tap into the whimsical side of God. We Christians can get bogged down in all the nuances of theology - all of which are important. But, God also has a whimsical aspect to Himself - remember, He's the one who created the aardvark and little monkeys.
The Dolphins - with their short attention spans and lack of experience - still manage to create many moments of whimsy. They wonder what is for snack much more than how to move the ball into the attacking area. They are more likely to help an opponent who has fallen that to take advantage of a stumble. Curiosity always brings a halt in play. It can be caused by the referee's whistle or just a part of the game they've never seen ("Coach, what's a 'goal kick'?").
We won't be challenging for any titles (We won our first match handily and got "smoked" in our second game), but I'm hoping that I can bring such enjoyment into their season that they will remember the 2010 season for a long time!
Numbers 12-13
