Busting Sky's Bubble

I don't know what to say...I'm practically speechless. Well, not really. I'm floored at how Andrew has taken off in his understanding and skill level with soccer. This is a boy who hated sports, wanted nothing to do with it, lacked a competitive edge, and every time he engaged in a game it was a disaster because he ended up falling down and feeling terrible about himself afterward. He's been practicing a great deal with Daddy and Sky lately, and he's finally learned the object of the game. He's also showing a major competitive edge and healthy aggression on the field. This isn't what renders me practically speechless, rather it's Sky's ego and how he's taking all this. He's a complete mess.

All this is showing me how powerful sports can be regarding character development. I'm getting glimpses of the parallels between handling a game vs. handling life. Andrew has grown in his self-esteem, is realizing where his strengths are while Sky is realizing he's not the single best player on the planet. Sky seriously believed that, or wanted to with all his heart. Andrew's previous weaknesses fed Sky's need to feel superior, and now that those are being stripped away he has become a mess (that's all I'll say because I want to protect his privacy). He's having a hard time understanding that there will always be better players than him, better runners, etc., and there will always be players worse than him on the field. Sky has a more dense and heavy bone structure (stalky and muscular) and cannot run like the wind. Andrew has a runner's frame with very long legs and has almost outrun Daddy on occasion! Sky is more skilled at the game and has a great "kick" but won't accept this because he wants to be good at everything.

I'm happy for Andrew and his accomplishments. His self-image has grown by leaps and bounds, and he keeps telling Sky he's a "Super Hero Soccer Kicker" to help ease the blow (he's really concerned with how it's all affecting him). I keep patting Sky on the back, reminding him that his coach thinks he's one of the best players on the team. He's nicknamed "Bigfoot" because of his kicking skills. I think it's healthy for Sky to get knocked off his pedestal for a while...it's humbling for him. His need to achieve and be the best will get him far in life, but he needs to realize that he cannot dominate any person in order to feel good about himself. Again, as I've said before, kids need to feel valuable from the inside out. They also need to cheer for people they care about when they succeed....there is enough to go around, and Andrew's successes are our whole family's successes. Sky is going on 8, and I know without a doubt that he will understand this eventually. Meanwhile, we're kissing those painful [ego] bruises.