Reprinted From the Monroe Co. Reporter
By WILL DAVIS
Perhaps one side effect of a miserable Georgia football season is that members of the state’s majority party, the Bulldog Nation, soften our natural antagonism for that wimpy, socialist sport of soccer.
Heck, we’ve got to try something else, so it might as well be that third-world, foot game played to the endless tune of a vuvuzela. All we know is this American football thing ain’t working out too well for the Red and Black.
Fortunately for me, I’m coaching my kids’ soccer teams for the third year in a row at the Monroe County Recreation Department.
There’s always an extra pep in my step on game days, Tuesdays and Thursdays. We’re having a blast.
Oh, and about soccer being wimpy? Don’t believe it. We’re just two weeks into the season and at least three players—some pretty tough hombres—have come off the field in tears.
One was a goalie who had a knee planted in his back, another was a forward who got pelted in the forearm with a 30 mph soccer ball. There’s plenty of violence in soccer, and precious few pads to protect the kids when they inevitably hit the ground. In a time when children are increasingly sissified with bike helmets, bans on roughhousing and a general safety-first obsession, sometimes it’s refreshing let them just go out and get after it.
But few of my players show more courage than our left fullback for the U-10 Strikers, Hatcher Davis.
Many of you know Hatcher, the son of Kevin and Pam Davis and a student at T.G. Scott Elementary.
His dad owns Prime Home Mortgage in Forsyth and his mom works at the Trading Post in Forsyth also. (By the way, Kevin has my mortgage and Pam moved us to Forsyth. I hope you shop locally too.)
Anyway, Hatcher was born with muscular dystrophy and had never played normal rec ball in any sport before.
He has played baseball with the Miracle League in Macon, which he’s loved. But the league is designed for a wide range of handicaps and, as Kevin tells it, the kids are necessarily treated with kid gloves. No score is kept and everybody’s a winner. It’s a great league, but sometimes a boy just wants to compete with his classmates.
And so Hatcher does. In fact, the biggest cheer so far this season was when a player for the other team booted the ball way down field, hurtling towards our goal.
Only one boy stood in its way and that was Hatcher, who bounded the ball into the other direction and away from our goal. The parents roared with approval and he grinned from ear to ear as he made halting steps toward the ball, hoping to make another kick. His teammates loved it too.
I’m proud of Hatcher but I’m proud of the other Strikers as well. They’ve all received him as a teammate and an equal. In turn, Hatcher seems to be enjoying the ride.
Hatcher is our deep sweeper, staying on guard by the goalkeeper to keep opponents from scoring.
On Saturday my gaze was on our offense where we were feverishly trying to score. Suddenly I heard, “Help me up!” Hatcher had fallen back on the defensive end of the field and needed a hand. I called for a substitute and helped him up — but Hatcher was not happy.
“I just needed help getting up!,” said Hatcher, with a devilish grin. “I didn’t want to come out!”
Later I moved our goalie so he could try his hand (or foot) at a regular position and Hatcher raised his hand, “Let me go in, I wanna be goalie!”
The referee, Mike Dunlap, expressed amazement at the boy’s courage. As of this writing, the Strikers are 4-0 with a big game this week against the undefeated Chaos.
It ought to be fun. But regardless of the outcome, I think we’ve already had a most successful season.
(Editor’s Note: Hatcher Davis is the son of Kevin and Pam Davis of Forsyth. His grandparents are Bobby and Linda Wood of Monticello. Hatcher is eight years old and was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at 19 months. He has a brother, Cameron, 3.)
