News article from ABM Ministries

MORE THAN JUST A GAME . . .

Friday, September 11th, was a very eventful afternoon for the students here at Lighthouse Christian Academy. Our team of 12 boys competed in their first soccer game of the season at Westwood Baptist Church in Poplar Bluff, Mo. The boys dressed in their blue and white uniforms and eagerly boarded the bus. Soon following them were the coaches, the staff, and the girls. Yes, I mean to say that the entire school tagged along to cheer on our team. Not a single soul was left behind.

Soccer

With traffic being dense, it took us about an hour to arrive at our destination. On the ride in our comfortable seats, we watched Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. Surprisingly enough, everyone enjoyed the movie. The bus echoed with laughter as we pulled into the busy parking lot of Westwood. The boys, hyped up and ready to go, took the field to practice for a little bit before the game. They seemed to be relaxed and laid back, instead of tense and nervous. This probably accounts for part of the reason that they played so well when the game finally began.

After about 10 minutes, fans of the Westwood Eagles began to pile into the bleachers and we knew that the time had come; the game was about to begin. The girls, the staff, and everyone who wasn’t coaching or playing in the game took their seats in the bleachers and waited excitedly for the teams to take the field. At last, with the shrill blow of the whistle from the referee, both teams took their positions and prepared to fight for the victory.

Ours was the first point as one of the boys kicked a soaring ball into a well-guarded goal. The LCA fan club went wild! At that moment, we were transformed from silent aliens hesitantly uttering a whispered praise to vivacious cheerleaders screaming our encouragement at the top of our lungs. All too soon, however, half-time came, and our boys were getting tired. The coach praised their teamwork and set up a new game plan as they drank their water and refreshed themselves. Then, the second half of the game began.

While the final score was 3-1, with Westwood having 3 points and LCA United having 1, the game was fantastic. The boys played well, showed teamwork, and, most importantly, had fun playing. Their efforts were rewarded with a trip to Cici’s Pizza for supper. Imagine trying to squeeze 26 people into a small pizza buffet on a Friday night. Surely you can see the chaos. It was fun, however. The boys, being as hungry as they were, stuffed themselves to the point of misery and were almost unable to stand up straight as they walked out of the restaurant. They were able to relax, though, as we watched more Star Wars on the drive back to school. All in all, the day turned out to be very fun and productive.

Now the challenge is preparing for the upcoming game later this week….