Youth Soccer: Should be an Easy Win

Game 16

Prior to the first league game of the spring season, our coach overheard the coach of the opposing team, the Lightning, proclaim that this should be an easy win.

In the fall, the elite level was split into two divisions, Red and Blue. Each division had 8 teams. My daughter's team, the Sabres, finished 4th in the Red Division. The Lightning were undefeated in the Blue Division. For the spring season, the top four teams from each division were combined to form one super division. This division contains the 8 best teams in the metro area made up of 1 million people. These teams are the best of the best so the proclamation from the Lightning coach that they would win easily was bold.

Prior to the game, our coach used this bold prediction to motivate our team. Did it work? The Sabres won the game 8 to 0. The Sabres were 0-3 versus the Lightning over the last year and a half, so this was a satisfying win. My daughter, CC, scored 2 goals and made two great saves in goal.

The Main Point

Comments from opposing teams can be either intimidating or they can be motivating. Personally, I don't really think that predictions have an actual impact on the outcome.  The Sabres beat the Lightning because they became a better team during the winter indoor season.

Jimmy Rollins is not afraid to make bold predictions. He proclaimed that the Phillies would keep the Mets from winning the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball in 2007. He ended up that year as the MVP and did lead the Phillies to the division title. In 2009 on the Jay Leno Show, he also boldly predicted that the Phillies would beat the Yankees in 6 games in the 2009 World Series. He was right about the 6 games, but the Yankees won. Games are won on the field.