A teammate of mine left our team to start his own team after the first season together in our town’s new adult soccer league. I don’t think there were any hard feelings between Cruz and anyone else on our team to cause or as a result of his departure. If he had left to join the team that beat us in the championship game, that would have been a different story; for there is something inherently dissolute about leaving to join the best team instead of working to improve the team one is with.
Quite the opposite can be said about Cruz though. Even though our team was well poised to have another great season and have another chance at a championship, he left to start his own team with some close friends of his. He jokingly admitted that we would be able to beat his team easily. On the pitch, most of us wouldn’t hesitate to say that winning is everything, and I’ll be conservative with my estimate of myself when I say that it’s only been in the last couple of years that I’ve begun to see “winning” from more than just the scoreboard. So, for a really competitive soccer player, like Cruz, to start his own team, fully anticipating to do worse in the standings, is fairly counter-intuitive at first glance.
I would argue though that Cruz’s act of starting a team was an enormous win for everyone in the league.
First, Cruz gave ten plus guys a new reason to get out of bed on a Sunday morning. That’s ten more individuals who are healthier, stronger, and happier with themselves from having played a game of soccer. For most of us, whom aged out of organized sports after high school, the world is a much brighter place with the adventure, competitiveness, and camaraderie that comes with playing sports.
Second, Cruz brought people back into our lives that we hadn’t seen in a long time. Old teammates and rivals resurfaced with the creation of his team. Not only was it great to reconnect with individuals from our past, but it was surreal to relive the experiences together that once meant so much to us.
And lastly, Cruz was obviously being very modest when he said we could beat his team easily. His team came out with some real intensity and tied our team 3-3. For everyone there on that rainy Sunday morning, they witnessed a majestic display of athleticism, skill, and perseverance. The league is now more competitive. Yes, it is now more difficult to win a championship, but it has never been more convenient to play amongst and learn from high caliber soccer players.
Instead of settling for the status quo, Cruz took a risk and enhanced the game for everyone.