Playing Through the Rain and the Lessons of Not Wallowing in Circumstances
My son’s first boys U12 soccer game of the season kicked off on a recent weekend in conditions far from ideal. It the middle of March, in Nebraska. It might “say” spring on the calendar, but don’t bank on it. A steady, driving rain fell throughout the match, with temperatures stuck at a chilly 45 degrees. The sidelines were filled with umbrellas, soaked jackets, and parents doing their best to stay warm while cheering on their kids. It was the kind of day that tests more than just skill—it tests mindset.
Before the game, as their coach, I pulled the team together with a clear message: “Life isn’t about what happens to you, it’s about how you deal with it.” It wasn’t just a motivational line. It became a theme for the day. I told them that the game is going to be played, the other team has to play in it was well, and whoever delt with this more effectively would win the game… today wasn’t about skill… it was about will.
Adversity like this—whether in sports or life—has a way of revealing character. Playing well in perfect conditions is one thing. But pushing yourself when nothing is going your way is something else entirely. Someday it will be bad partners for a school project or a co-worker or unreasonable timeframe or a terrible boss. Life is all about the fact that less in our control then we might realize.
Faced with cold hands, wet socks, and slippery conditions, the boys had every excuse to fold, to quit, to complain. But they didn’t. They chose to respond with energy, focus, and effort.
The boys leaned into each other. They communicated, stayed disciplined, and played smart, team-oriented soccer. It wasn’t about individual stats or highlight plays. It was about doing the work, sticking together, and finding a rhythm despite the challenges. And when one scored a goal, they all celebrated together.
As the game went on, something changed. The rain didn’t seem as bad. The cold not as bitter. What started as discomfort turned into determination. And that determination turned into momentum. A few clean passes led to a well-timed goal. Then another. The boys weren’t just surviving the weather—they were thriving in it. While the other team stood around, complained, and basically quit, “my boys” overcame and thrived. By the final whistle, they had secured a win… 6-0. A shutout. And with 4 goals taken off the board because of offsides. Pretty impressive.
More importantly, they had done it by staying committed to each other and to the values we talked about before kickoff.
This game will be remembered less for the score and more for the conditions—and the way the team responded to them. They learned that grit matters. That teamwork matters. That joy can be found not just in winning, but in knowing you pushed through something hard and came out stronger on the other side.
There will be better weather this season. But it’s hard to imagine a better victory in all senses of the word.
