Today's blog post was written by Tony Kim. Tony is a senior psychology major at Purdue North Central and is an intern for Play Like a Champion Today. In a previous post, Tony pledged his support for Manchester United, although he supports displays of sportsmanship from all teams in all sports.
In this month of celebrating all things Irish, there was more going in Ireland than just celebrations of
St. Patrick. Adam O’Reilly, an under-14 youth soccer
player for the Ringmahon Rangers, took the ball at the spot in the 18 yard box.
Instead of burying it in the bottom corner, top shelf, or side netting of the
goal—he simply passed it
into the hands of the opposing team’s goalkeeper. Without context, this
would seem like a blunder on his part. The story, though, proves quite the
contrary.
Facing
the division leaders, O’Reilly’s Rangers were
losing 1-0 when their opponents goalkeeper injured himself with the ball in the
box. Without a thought, one of the goalkeeper’s defenders threw the ball off
the pitch. Even though the injury was one that should have stopped play, the
defender never waited for the the whistle to blow to indicate stoppage. Thus,
the referee had no choice but to award a penalty to the Rangers for the blatant
handball.
Here
comes the kicker—pun definitely intended.
Receiving
the nod to take the penalty with explicit instructions from his coaches, young
O’Reilly stepped up
to the spot. Understanding that the penalty was given on a play where relief
for an injured player was sought, he passed it right back to the goalkeeper to
have play continue as it should have after the injury.
Even
though it would have leveled the game at 1-1, O’Reilly and his coaches knew that it
giving the ball back and not pursuing a goal from a necessary stoppage of the
game was the right thing to do. O’Reilly, his coaches, and the Rangers
have shown us not only that soccer is not as pitiless as professionals show us—but that good
ethics and sportsmanship is being taught at the all-important youth levels of
sports.
