My First Soccer Game Ever

Growing up I played a lot of football, more basketball, and of course, the most tennis.

But I never played a game of soccer.  It wasn’t in our PE program, I don’t think they had soccer leagues when I was in elementary school, and by the time there was organized soccer in high school, I was all tennis, all the time.

So I had never been on a soccer field or played in a soccer game.

Until last night.

Why last night?

Good Shepherd is taking the church to the Twin Lakes subdivision in Fort Mill, a modest community near our church that is overwhelmingly Latino.

And what’s the best relational tool to connect with Latino children and their families?

Soccer of course.

So I joined our Latino Pastor Sammy Gonzalez in an impromptu game with about 18 children and teens.  When Sammy is on the field, he looks something like this:

When I’m on the field, I look more like this:

I did achieve my main “goal,” however: I never knocked the ball accidentally into my own team’s net.

And I do believe that with Sammy and his team of volunteers, we are trending towards the more important goal of inviting the people of Twin Lakes into a living relationship with Jesus Christ.