All three of my sons have just started the fall soccer season. It’s a time of great excitement in my house. Everyone is excited about new teammates, new opportunities, new coaches, and new experiences. As their mother, I share in that excitement, but I also have hopes for this season – hopes that are greater than just the game.

I hope my sons win games. I want them to see that hard work and practice do pay off. I want them to experience the rush of success and the thrill of victory. When they find themselves at the top, I want them to be able to demonstrate grace and humility and recognize arrogance, in any amount, will break them down as much as it does those around them. I want them to know that good players talk about their talents, but great players show their talents.

I also hope my sons lose games. I want them to experience disappointment and frustration and be forced to move forward after a setback. I want them to learn to hold their heads high for the effort they put in and not just the end result. I want them to appreciate the skills and abilities of players better than themselves and instead of feeling resentment feel motivation to better themselves. I want them to know that good players recognize their own talents, but great players recognize and learn from the talents of others.

I hope my sons can lead their teammates. I want them to recognize and have confidence in the skills and abilities they have spent years working to perfect. I want them to have the communication skills necessary to teach and lead and make their teammates feel a greater confidence in their own abilities because they are on the field next to them. I want them to know that the view from the top will be so much more amazing if they are not alone. I want them to know that good players make their way to the top, but great players will stand at the top surrounded by others.

I also hope my sons must follow their teammates. I want them to find themselves in situations where they do not know the answers and cannot find the solutions on their own. I want them to seek out those that demonstrate knowledge and confidence and learn to listen and take in their expertise. I want them to feel that often the collective group is much stronger than its individual parts. I want them to know that good players figure it out on their own, but great players figure it out with their team.

I hope my sons make the winning goal. I want them to have their moment and know what it feels like to hear the cheers and feel the love. I want them to feel the moment come alive that they have pictured in their head for so long. I want them to remember the work, the time, the energy, and the dedication that went into being prepared for that single moment. I want them to know that a good player lives that moment, but a great player is motivated to strive for more and bigger moments.

I also hope my sons miss the winning goal. I want them to know what it feels like to fall short of their expectations and the expectations of those around them. I want them to find the strength to regroup. I want them to find the courage to trust in themselves and try again. I want them to understand that true character comes through adversity. I want them to know that a good player makes safe plays, but a great player takes risks.

I hope every time my sons step on the pitch they enjoy the game. I want them to have fun and I want them to feel the love and the passion they have had for this sport since the first time they kicked a ball. I want them to take everything they have learned and become better soccer players. But I also hope they will take in the life lessons the game is teaching them. I want them to become men who can overcome adversity, men who motivate others, men who can admit their faults and learn from them, men who are humble, men who can ask for help, men who can share the spotlight, men who can cooperate with and listen to others, men who are proud of their accomplishments and believes in their abilities, men who takes risks, and men who never stop striving to obtain their goals. I want them to know that good players become better soccer players, but great players become better men.

I have high hopes, but I believe in this game and I believe in my sons.