Reflections from the 7ners match.

The mighty 7ners waited three weeks to get there first league game. Simply we lost 0-4 to Droitwich 3s. Should we have lost … probably for the way we played today. Were the opposition really 4 goals better than we are. I don’t think so. They did have three very good players who controlled the game well and outplayed us today, but we should be competing at this level. Brock reminds me that the 7ners usually start slowly and get better as the season goes on. This was our first league game. However when we set goals, there’s nothing more frustrating than getting a slow start. We can see the target, we know where we want to go, but we can’t seem to get traction.
So tonight, forever an optimist, I’m reflecting on Brock’s comments and looking at, if he’s right and we do get better, why a slow start may actually be better for us as has been in the past seasons. Yes, I would rather have written a winning match report, but here goes:

1. It forces this team to rise to the occasion. The spirit in the 7ns is always something to be proud of.
2. We find weaknesses we otherwise wouldn’t otherwise notice.
3. We are discovering resources we didn’t know we had.
4. We come up with unique solutions we wouldn’t otherwise have.
5. It’s actually good for our teams in how we grow.
6. We forge new relationships. Welcome Chris Styles to your debut for Worcester Hockey Club and the 7ners.
7. It’s an opportunity to grow leadership.
8. We have proven in past tougher seasons how we have developed resilience.

So hopefully we are growing our roots deep down. Without it, we’re all tree and no roots. When we face a storm and the wind hits us, we’d just topple without our roots. Irrespective of our score, a great game on a 22C sunny October afternoon. Thank-you to our two umpires Adrian and Dave Mabey and Jane Ralph for re-arranging fixtures we are grateful to you all for helping make this all happen.