BTW 5A State Soccer Champions 2019

This year I got to watch the Booker T Washington Lady Hornets take on Bishop Kelly in the 5A Soccer state championship game. Both my nieces play on the BTW team. Over the years I’ve watched them play on fields across Tulsa and have enjoyed witnessing their growth both on and off the field. I grew up playing the sport, and watching another generation embrace its elegance is beautiful.

McKenna & Leah Raley              (my nieces)

When I got to the field, the Hornets were already down by 1. They were playing hard but consciously only giving about 80-90 percent of their best waiting to lay it all on the line until the second half started. It was so fun to savor every kick, header, pass, and triangle. Their defense was elegant, their offense passionate, and the crowd was on fire. The hours of strength and endurance training, technique drills and focus on speed and agility… those were all about to pay off in a big way.

The game ended with The Hornets on top 5-3. They worked hard as a team with no showboating just good solid soccer. As a spectator, you can easily see each player on this team brings strength to their core balance. They work hard individually and integrate those skills into the chemistry of the team, so they move as one unit fluctuating up and down the field. They were terrific, and it was so fun to see them win the championship for the second year in a row.

As I watched them all take pictures and celebrate I thought to myself each young lady on this team, no doubt faced something this year. Something that challenged her and tested her. I’ve always said the heart of a champion isn’t necessarily about the score. It’s about the work no one else sees, the courage to keep going when all odds are against you and the belief in something bigger than you. You don’t really know how strong you are until you’re tested or have your first failure. It’s the comeback from injury,  the pursuit of the dream and so much more. As they celebrate this victory, I hope they remember their journey to this victory personally and as a team. I hope in life when they feel tired, defeated or lost that they remember how they pushed themselves toward this goal and that they can do anything they put their minds to no matter what life brings their way. Sometimes the journey teaches us just as much if not more than the victory.

You learn so much about life playing team sports. I think as adult athletes, we must remember what we can learn from younger athletes and vice versa. Each game matters win or lose, just like each challenge in life. Some days the call goes your way, and some days it doesn’t. You don’t throw a hissy fit on the sidelines just because you don’t get what you want. You keep your head in the game and play your game. Listen to your coaches and drive yourself to be and do more than you ever thought possible. You play your best and leave it all on the field, so when the final score hits the board, you know, you did your part for yourself and your team. So to all the athletes out there here’s to digging deep, playing hard and savoring the journey.

Congratulations ladies and thank you for reminding us all to do our best on each and every day both on and off the field.

BTW 5A State Soccer Champions 2019

This year I got to watch the Booker T Washington Lady Hornets take on Bishop Kelly in the 5A Soccer state championship game. Both my nieces play on the BTW team. Over the years I’ve watched them play on fields across Tulsa and have enjoyed witnessing their growth both on and off the field. I grew up playing the sport, and watching another generation embrace its elegance is beautiful.

When I got to the field, the Hornets were already down by 1. They were playing hard but consciously only giving about 80-90 percent of their best waiting to lay it all on the line until the second half started. It was so fun to savor every kick, header, pass, and triangle. Their defense was elegant, their offense passionate, and the crowd was on fire. The hours of strength and endurance training, technique drills and focus on speed and agility… those were all about to pay off in a big way.

The game ended with The Hornets on top 5-3. They worked hard as a team with no showboating just good solid soccer. As a spectator, you can easily see each player on this team brings strength to their core balance. They work hard individually and integrate those skills into the chemistry of the team, so they move as one unit fluctuating up and down the field. They were terrific, and it was so fun to see them win the championship for the second year in a row.

As I watched them all take pictures and celebrate I thought to myself each young lady on this team, no doubt faced something this year. Something that challenged her and tested her. I’ve always said the heart of a champion isn’t necessarily about the score. It’s about the work no one else sees, the courage to keep going when all odds are against you and the belief in something bigger than you.

McKenna & Leah Raley (my nieces)

You don’t really know how strong you are until you’re tested or have your first failure. It’s the comeback from injury,  the pursuit of the dream and so much more. As they celebrate this victory, I hope they remember their journey to this victory personally and as a team. I hope in life when they feel tired, defeated or lost that they remember how they pushed themselves toward this goal and that they can do anything they put their minds to no matter what life brings their way. Sometimes the journey teaches us just as much if not more than the victory.

You learn so much about life playing team sports. I think as adult athletes, we must remember what we can learn from younger athletes and vice versa. Each game matters win or lose, just like each challenge in life. Some days the call goes your way, and some days it doesn’t. You don’t throw a hissy fit on the sidelines just because you don’t get what you want. You keep your head in the game and play your game. Listen to your coaches and drive yourself to be and do more than you ever thought possible. You play your best and leave it all on the field, so when the final score hits the board, you know, you did your part for yourself and your team. So to all the athletes out there here’s to digging deep, playing hard and savoring the journey.

Congratulations ladies and thank you for reminding us all to do our best on each and every day both on and off the field.