Commentary By Rick Rodriguez
Maddie Langbien of the Danville Dream team walked dejectedly from her goal post, tears streaming down her face as the conclusion of her Mustang Soccer U-10 Girls season drew near! She wasn't the only one with the heart to express her emotions as many of the Danville team members felt the sting of their team coming one win short. The team had fought hard but were defeated by a fine Dublin team in the Championship game of the 2010 680/580 Crossroads tournament.
The Danville Dream Team entered the Championship game with wins over Livermore, Pleasanton, and San Ramon before taking on Dublin! And, with the Girls U-10 Danville Championship already in hand, the team nearly pulled off the impossible; a double championship season! The team finished second in the Tri-Valley Area!
All season long the team had a plethora of consistent performers. Led by stalwarts, Taylor London & Kayla McPherson, the team gelled as the season went on; blossoming on a cold blustery day in the league playoffs by tieing a game in the final seconds before winning in overtime!
Each girl (Bridgette, Ava, Amanda, Caroline, Angeli, Maddie, Ashley, Taylor L., Kayla, Taylor P., Keefana, and Rosie "not pictured") at one point or another throughout the season rose to the occasion again and again! The girls grew from a newly adjoined group of 8 to 10 year olds into a solid group of friends formed by the camaraderie of teamwork, competition, and fun!
Well deserved credit goes to the coaches Chris Zyla, Shelley London, and Greg McPherson for their exceptional instruction, support, and positive influence throughout the year!
As parents, it was a pure joy watching these young girls benefit from an experience of working as a group to achieve a common goal. And, to experience the learning lessons of being on both sides of the ball!
The cheers and tears spread by so many this year are merely an expression of what it means to work hard and receive a just reward! As Coach McPherson so eloquently put it as the team gathered a final time "with the type of tenacity this team demonstrated this year--you can accomplish anything in life!" Well said Coach and congratulations to the entire Dream Team Family!
Rick Rodriguez is a Real Estate Broker & Property Manager with 27+ years of experience in the real estate business. Rick, a Bay Area native and graduate of Saint Mary's College, services the San Francisco East Bay Area including the communities in the 680/580 freeway corridors, and Southern Alameda & Southern Contra Costa County. Contact Rick at rrodriguez@pacunion.com or (510) 326-4795.
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www.RickRodriguez.typepad.com/The_Rocket
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