Would you froth if you won an Olympic medal? Well, you could score gold—in another lifetime. Believers in rebirth say wisdom from this lifetime carries over into the next. So, wise-up with sports primers and old-timer teams. Yes, you could win an Olympics, if not this life, then maybe the next. I study sports rules for that very reason. Seriously.
It’s because I had the worst friends in grade seven. My friends tortured me, plastering clown makeup on my face before school. So, I asked my step dad how I could grow popular. He (a sports fanatic) said join sports teams. When I asked which one, he said join them all. So, I did. Each year, I won most improved player for most every team. By grade nine, I won the bronze medal for top female athlete. Best of all, I made great friends and raised my grades to the mid-nineties.
If blessed with height, I might’ve tried out for high school sports. If so, I would’ve scored sky-high grades and bonded with better buddies. But, much later, in my mid-30s, I joined my university’s wrestling team. I stood a wee chance of competing in an Olympics. After all, the coach groomed umpteen Olympians. But my dreams dashed away when an Olympian sprained my sternum and tagged me too old and too brittle to play.
To this day, I awaken from dreams of winning most valuable player in hockey, basketball, and football. But in these dreams, I often find myself lost or late when seeking the team tryout fields.
A soccer primer for kids will surely bolster our sports know-how. And any know-how leaves “impressions” in the brain that transcend lifetimes, says the Dalai Lama. Plus, with soccer skills, you can join teams, slim down, and have fun. Andrew Latham boost our soccer skills in his book Soccer Smarts for Kids: 60 Skills, Strategies, & Secrets:
- How do you score goals? Just kick the ball: “Be confident and take a risk. If you don’t try a shot, you definitely won’t score a goal. The worst thing that can happen is that you might miss. The best thing is that you score a goal that helps your team” (p. 52, 33%).
- But kick the ball in the goal sweet spots: “The two best places to put the ball are low in the corners of the goal or high in the corners of the goal. If the ball goes between the knees and shoulders of the keeper, there is more chance it will be saved” (p. 45, 28%)
- Don’t just use your feet. Use the total bod: “Using different part of the body to control the ball is something good players appear to do naturally” (p. 24, 18%). “When it comes toward you between your feet and head, there are two body parts you can use to control the ball: your thigh and your chest” (p. 24, 18%).
- And stand like a duck sans quack: “When you receive the pass, start on your toes with your left foot pointing at ten o’clock and your right foot pointing at two o’clock. This will help you receive the ball with either foot and give you more options for your first touch” p. 21, 16%).
- And do the shoulders: “As the ball is coming to you … instead of having your hips both face the player who is passing you the ball, move one of your feet back so one of your shoulders is pointing in the direction the ball is coming and the other shoulder is pointing in the opposite direction” (p. 22, 17%).
- Best of all, win the World Cup: “If you have passion for soccer and enjoy it, you’ll be able to enjoy playing throughout your lifetime. You may even make it to the World Cup” (p. 10, 10%).
A mom I met spent her paychecks on her girls’ pro gymnastics. While both daughters were skilled, one had the size to compete at the Olympics. But the mom gave her girls a choice: Olympic-train or world-travel. The daughters chose world-travel.
If you’ve got the Olympian knack, don’t spin sick on Disneyland Dumbo rides. Go to the Olympics! Sheesh!
