Mrs. Scudder- The Final Save

Soccer Mom, Baseball mom, softball mom. I have spent a lot of years as a sports mom. Driving to practice, scrubbing dirty pants, packing a day's worth of food in the cooler, searching frantically for a lost hat or uniform, cheering for a win, consoling after a difficult loss. If you are a sports mom, you most definitely can relate. 

The Cape Cod soccer tournament every October was definitely one of my favorite sporting events. Watching the boys play was just a small part of the weekend. Team lunches, walks on the beach, dinners, firepits, and boom boxes were extra perks.  Friendships with parents I still consider to be friends were made. 

One particular tournament stands out: the 2020 Cape Cod soccer tournament. This tournament had not been easy. On Saturday, the first day of the tournament, we lost our first game when our own player scored in our goal. In the second game, we struggled but came from behind to win. On Sunday, the Sharks arrived prepared and revitalized, fueled by the fresh beginning that this new day offered. They started strong. They dominated the first game, then the second. These wins meant the Sharks made it to the finals, during which they would play against the skilled and talented team they had lost to the previous team. Monday morning we were all butterflies and jitters. Being the goalie mom made it even more nerve-wracking. Every shot on goal made my heart beat fast. At the end of a well-fought game, the score was tied 2-2, which meant penalty kicks: the goalie mom’s worst nightmare. Suddenly the “team” didn’t matter, and it came down to a few shots on goals. Each team got 4 shots. I could barely watch. My heart was racing… The first kick for us, we scored! Connor stopped their first goal. We missed the second, and theirs went wide. We scored the third goal. If we stopped this one, we would win! Connor had an amazing dive to stop the last one and we all went wild! They were the champs!

This team went on to play many more games and tournaments. Some were heartbreaking, others were victorious, but that particular tournament holds a special place in my heart.