New Kicks

Our church (Kaw Prairie) is great in many ways.  Most of them are very important things related to faith, children’s programs, etc. One way that is way less important but still pretty exciting to me is they have indoor soccer every Wednesday night from 8:30 to 10:00.  Technically, it’s actually futsal, as it’s played on an indoor basketball court with the court perimeter as boundary lines.  There are four people per team, so if we have more than eight people, we rotate after a team scores two goals or five minutes elapses, whichever happens first.  We typically have a mix of adults and then kids who are between 6 and 12 or so.  It’s pretty fast-paced and is a decent workout.  I've been doing it for almost a year, though I only play about half the time because I’m often out of town for work or otherwise have been gone too many other nights during the week.

 

I haven’t played any form of indoor soccer since high school, so I didn't have actual indoor soccer shoes.  So I've been playing in a pair of my tennis shoes.  I’m getting old, in athletic terms, as nearly every athlete begins to see their skills degrade by the time they’re in their mid-30s.  I knew this was coming but still have been disappointed in my play.  I don’t feel as fast or agile as I used to, and my touches on the ball are not what they used to be, with my footwork and accuracy having declined.  Still, though, I could see myself playing indoor for quite awhile, so I decided I might as well spring for some actual indoor soccer shoes.  I recently found some I liked at Academy (regular price $49, sale price $39, unexpectedly rang up at the register for $19!) and wore them tonight.  Good news for me!  I’m still old, but not as old as I thought!  I figured my tennis shoes wouldn't be quite as good as actual indoor soccer shoes, but I had no idea how big the difference was!  I felt light on my feet, quick, and agile, and my ball control was good, and my shots and passes were accurate.  It was great!  I felt like I suddenly lost 30 pounds and got 5 years younger.  I’m certainly still a step slower than I once was, and my trademark burst of speed isn't quite as good as it used to be, though I’m probably still the fastest one in this particular group of people, but it’s good to know that I’m still within shouting distance of my athletic prime.  Prior to the new shoes, I had started to get a little depressed at my own mortality or whatever and the noticeable drop-off in the skills of the game and sport that I love most, though that certainly wasn't going to stop me from playing any chance I could get.  But now I’m totally re-energized and super excited about playing every Wednesday that I’m free.  I just regret not getting these new shoes sooner.