What women do

Sunday morning, sun shining, walk on the hills with the dog on a slightly frosty misty autumn day. Thats what women do isn't it. Not in my house, in the absence of my better half I have to manage my sons Under 13 football team on its first away match of the season. Of course there will be lots of football supporting dads waiting to take control to explain to me the off side rule, no no they are taking the opportunity to read the Sundays papers in peace. What has actually happened is girl power. I have a crack team of mums and a couple of older brother as stand in coaches and we are away.

One would assume that its simply you just put the 11 players on the pitch and they have to try and get the ball in the net and avoid the opposition doing the same at their end of the pitch. That is definately the aim however the reason that football is the nationally most supported game in our country is due to the fact that a little word comes into play, tactics!!. Defence tactics, supporting tactics, forward tactics, substitute tactics, the list in endless. My tactic was to shout out loudly on the sidelines as many words that constituted a supposed tactic as possible, pass it wide!!, watch the last man!!, dont let it bounce!!, keep it tight!!. Do you know what it worked. We won!! The result was 6 to 2.

Its a strange thing as this was something I was only doing so much under sufferance just to keep my husband and son happy. It was something that I would never have done for myself in a million years, however it was good. I felt a thrill and tension. I felt relief at the end and a camaraderie. I realised then that its good to do something for other people, to try something different and test the boundaries abit. You never know you might enjoy it. Roll on 2 weeks time were taking on the top of the league. Cannot wait