Columbus teen from ‘rough neighborhood’ was destined for failure, but soccer saved her

Four years ago, an observant ninth-grade science teacher came to me with a name.

She said, “You’re the new soccer coach, right? I have a girl in my third period class you might be interested in. She doesn’t play a sport, but she looks athletic. Maybe you could convince her to play soccer. I think you could help her.”

It seems this little ninth grader was not unlike most freshmen in high school. She was on the bubble between choices and influences. From a rough neighborhood, the young 13-year-old was, according to statistics, destined for difficulty. She was groomed by her circumstances for discipline issues, failing grades, delayed graduation, and I shudder to think what else. The reputations of her neighborhood friends were already blemished, their discipline folders already plump, their academics already marred. The battle of influences was waging inside this little girl, and her science teacher could almost visualize it.

I compare it to the old Tom and Jerry cartoons. There on Jerry’s shoulder was a devilish version of himself whispering antics and depravities to bestow on poor Tom, while atop the opposite shoulder was the angelic version, desperately trying to convince Jerry to leave the poor cat alone.

These are the inner voices questioning all ninth graders. What kind of student are you going to be? What clique are you going to join? What kind of reputation do you want around this school? But in the ninth grade, most kids have no clue. And most don’t care much about tomorrow or next week or even the next four years. At this stage in their development, ninth graders only think about the here and now.

So, making tough decisions that could affect the rest of their lives is of no concern to most freshmen. Decisions like college, GPAs, attendance, and discipline records are ignored for another year .... until a teacher steps in.

There is an untutored skill teachers develop throughout the years. No book can teach it — it is just cultivated. Like a form of fortune-telling, it’s the way a classroom teacher can sense things concerning their students’ futures. Thank goodness, for this little girl, her science teacher operated with that gift of discernment.

Because she was saved.

Soccer saved this little ninth grader. Having a sport, having a team, having a passionate, caring coach (and science teacher) saved her reputation, her graduation, maybe even her future.

She hit the soccer field with no experience, but she learned and fell in love with the sport. Her science teacher, as well as her soccer team and I, built a fortress around her to ward off any fiery darts from that little devilish figure on her shoulder. Together we surrounded her with love and support, watching her like a hawk, jumping in to settle potential trouble spots, and teaching her how to make right choices. But most importantly we offered her an opportunity to escape the woes of her circumstances, and that’s all she needed.

That little girl is graduating this year, and we’re going to miss her. She’ll be walking across the graduation stage with a solid GPA, a skinny discipline folder, and All-Region soccer honors. Most importantly, though, she’ll be headed into a bright future because of a tentative science teacher with a sixth sense. So, when you have a chance, go watch a team play. It might not be a championship team, but I’ll bet it is a life-saving one.

This story was originally published May 2, 2017 at 4:24 PM with the headline "Columbus teen from ‘rough neighborhood’ was destined for failure, but soccer saved her."