Bittersweet

Today was the end of our summer soccer season. We had an awesome team this summer, winning 16 games, tying 1, and losing 2. We won the summer-league comfortably, outscoring our opponents by an average of 4 goals per game. I think we scored close to 70 goals in 19 games, and only had 15 goals scored against us.

That's the sweet part. Why the bitterness?

I hurt my knee again. Last Sunday (the same day I broke my toe), I also hurt my knee. Thank God, I didn't tear anything - I can walk, run, or even hike just fine. But I can feel that structurally something's wrong with it .. again. It's going to take some time to have it dealt with: 3 months to see a specialist, and then another three to have it arthroscoped. Frustrating .. angering .. sobering .. humiliating .. tyring.

I had planned to play in the upcoming winter leauge, but those plans have been kyboshed.

For the remainder of the summer, and into the winter, my sports routine will have to change. Hiking is still ok, but I will have to try and go swimming and/or working out in the gym.

Burnaby Sierra FC:















Talk about an international team! Top left: MR (midfield/forward, Poland), EB (midfield/forward, Brazil), DS (midfield, Fiji), PG (defense, Canada), MA (defense, Romania), YG (midfield/forward, Hong Kong), AHK (defense, Iran). Bottom left: DC (defense/midfield, Romania), AV (forward, Bulgaria), MF (goalkeeper/defense/midfield, India), AB (forward, Brazil), MK (midfield/forward, Iran), NJ (defense/midfield, Canada), FB (goalkeeper, Hungary), and Cub (midfield, Paraguay).

Missing from the picture: GS (defense/midfield/forward, Canada), XC (midfield/forward, Spain), HG (midfield/forward, Mexico), RA (forward, Brazil), and DC (defense, China).

After the game ... sushi!















From bottom left, clockwise: AV (Bulgaria), DC (Romania), MK (Iran), Cub (Paraguay), FB (Hungary), NJ (Canada), MR (Poland).

What I'll miss most about not playing futbol for the next 5-8 months is not the goals, the plays, the thrill of the game, but the friendships, the camraderie, the brotherhood. Nothing brings people together like sports. Nothing.