- putting up with them wasn't worth never having you -

This is disappointing.

I can't believe (well, I can; I just don't like to) that people who work or volunteer on an amateur soccer board could be so wrapped up in their own affairs and the flow of capital that they'd be willing to bar the doors against thousands of kids and teenagers, preventing them from receiving the medals that they deserved. It's not a good situation, and I haven't researched the reasons behind the infighting too far, but you'd think they could put aside their (considerable) issues for long enough to let the tournament run.

In a past life - why hello there early adolescence - I played soccer until I realised that my teammates could teach Rachel McAdams' Mean Girls character a thing or two. Suffice to say that tae kwon do was a much better match.

So it stings to think that warring board members - whom, one would think, care about things like 'the love of the game' and 'teamwork' - "posted security guards at the office door to prevent the release of medals, trophies, and scoresheets to tourney organizers in St. Albert, Stettler, Three Hills, and Edson."

I've been mulling this story around in my head since this morning, and while parts of it set my teeth on edge, I can't help but grin at the thought of the father who "borrowed" old medals from his daughter's collection to pass on to a victorious keeper or defense, or the Edson residents who rallied and re-modeled old trophies from the Edson Arena to pass to winners of this competition.

To the kids who played through the politics - kudos.

To the parents, refs, and supporters who blew figurative raspberries at the posturing and "went anyways" - good on you.

Do what you can to remember that this (somewhere in there) is still a Beautiful Game.


♥ music of the moment: sitting waiting wishing