Haiku 2023–290

her last career save

courageous and beautiful

just like the saver

— —

In a year full of ‘final times’, last night’s final time hit hard.

My daughter, a four-year letter winner, played the last soccer match of her high school career last night. Playing goal against a much higher-seeded team, she saw lots of action and made some of the best saves I’ve ever seen. The final play of her career saw her come well off her line in an attempt to clear the ball on what would most assuredly be a goal without a great play. Sliding feet first after a dead sprint, she cleared the ball to safety… and aggravated a hip injury that she’s been dealing with all year. The ref stopped the match, the trainer came out on the field, and just like that, her career was over.

As you might imagine, soccer has been a big part of our lives over the past eight years. I’ve driven lots of places, seen lots of matches, and enjoyed almost every one of them. It’s been a genuine pleasure watching her play, so it’s with a sense of loss that I write these words today. Tears filled my eyes last night, not just because it happened, but because it may not ever happen again.

All that being said, my daughter is more than soccer… much more. While this chapter has closed, so many other chapters lie ahead. She will approach all of them with courage and beauty, just like the one she just closed. I look forward to each and every one of them.