Rob Lasso: Episode 4

“Takin’ on a challenge is a lot like riding a horse. If you’re comfortable while you’re doin’ it, you’re probably doin’ it wrong.” -- Ted Lasso

If I were more of a planner, and a better writer, I'd have planned a story arc to go along with this running diary. And if I had done that, this episode might have been a good time to introduce some conflict, seeing as it's about half way through season one. Fortunately for me, reality planned better than I did.

During the week, we'd told the kids that we were going to try to play a JV game against one of our county's new schools on Friday as a lead-in to the Varsity game that evening. It would mean that we'd likely play 9v9 or 10v10, but it would be a chance for kids who haven't played much to get a run. When we announced the plan, it went over like a lead balloon (or a lead pillow), as the faces of the players betrayed the calculations they were making in their heads about which game they'd get/have to dress for. (In our county, you can't play in both a JV and Varsity game on the same day.)

As a part of the same conversation, we discussed arrangements for the bus transportation to the game. Because of the pandemic, our county has relaxed its rules on travel, allowing kids to get themselves to games if they choose. Since we were going to play a JV game at 6:00 and only take one bus, that meant that any Varsity kids who rode the bus would have to be ready two hours earlier than they might normally need. Before we even finished explaining, Dutch and Ab enthusiastically said that they intended to ride the bus to the JV game so they could watch it. Predictably, a whole lot of others jumped on that train.

As it turns out, we had two injuries and a conflict with an AP Exam that left us short of the minimum number of players available to play the JV game, and all the angst was for naught. But I saw you, Dutch and Ab.

Speaking of the former, our narrative arc darkened a bit further when she sidled up to me and the head coach to let us know that Natasha's attitude was becoming problematic. The latter has been dealing with an injury, and missed practice earlier in the week because of it without letting us know. And according to Dutch, she's been chastising teammates in less than kind ways. She got her moniker because she's of Russian descent, and she seems to have some of that culture's stereotypical steel in her personality. We're a lot better with her at left back, but as Ted Lasso figured out with Jamie Tartt, talent takes a back seat when toxic behavior corrodes a team's culture. One to watch.

On a much better note, a seemingly minor moment mid-week stuck with me enough to go out of my way to pump a kid up about it. I've been gently chiding Kenny about her inability to use her left foot. She's uber-talented - her skills on the ball are phenomenal, and made more effective because of her above-average height and long legs. But she's very right-dominant, and good defenders can use their positioning to limit her effectiveness. More than once, she's told be that she doesn't think she's very good with her left - and we need her to be.

After practice on Wednesday, I noticed her and Jennie head back onto the field after the other players packed up and started to leave. She took a ball and started taking shots with her left foot. She really isn't all that good with it, as it turns out, but she's putting in work. And as I told her the next day, that little example is a kind of leadership in its own way. If the team's most talented player is willing to work harder than anyone else, that'll play.

We took our first bus ride on Friday (our first road match was really close to our school, so we just got there on our own). Ab asked the coach if it was to be a silent ride, and he took advantage of the opening to make it so. Rookie mistake on Ab's part.

As for the game, it was a perfect Bob Knight outcome. We won, 2-1, but we made enough mistakes and missed enough chances that it'll give us a chance to keep the kids from getting overconfident.

We probably outshot our opponents by something like 20 to 5, but we didn't convert several gilt-edged chances. Natasha ruled herself out with her injury - a game-time decision - so sophomore Joolz made her debut as a starter. She went all 80 minutes in a game she didn't know she was starting until ten minutes before kickoff. Her nerves showed in the opening minutes, but she settled in a played a solid game.

Dutch was an absolute legend in this one. She had to guide a nervous first-time starter through the game, she covered time and time again for mistakes on the other side of the back line, and she wound up getting on the scoreboard. She hit a free kick from 20 yards out inches wide of the post, but she got another chance five minutes later after Kenny was hacked down in the box. Dutch walked to the spot with the ball laughing audibly. Nervous habit, I'm sure, but it must've made the opposing keeper think she was a lunatic - right before she absolutely stonked the spot kick into the upper left corner.

After the break, Kenz got her second career goal after Steph danced her way through the defense and slotted a ball that would've been hard not to convert. Kenz made no mistake, blasting it with her left foot into the back of the net. Joolz started the movement with a terrific pass to spring Steph.

We could've and likely should've scored three or four more: Steph had two breakaways and missed the frame both times. Sid had a sitter from three feet out and clanked her shot off her plant foot. Sam hit the keeper in the numbers unmarked from 15 yards out.

That lack of efficiency made things a bit white-knuckled when Sid fouled an opponent in the box and they converted the penalty, but the girls made the scoreline stand up to bring our record to 2-3.

Ab was bummed not to play, and Sid was basically inconsolable even in victory. There are some growing pains nagging at the good guys. Gonna have to earn our money coaching this week.