"It's soccer"

I was at the school for Track and Field Day and got a chance to see my sweet son in a pick-up game of soccer.  The festivities were over and he and a few buddies were just messing around.  The game grew and soon a bunch of kids were taking turns trying to make goals while other kids practiced being goalie.  I tried like heck to turn off my Mom-dar and just remain on the sidelines without calling out my dear one.  That is amazingly hard by the way.  When I'm at the sidelines during an organized game I can fall into sideline mode really well because the kids are disciplined and doing what they are trained to do.  When they are horsing around I am on high alert for misbehavior.  At one point the ball my kid hit collided with the face of a girl opposite him.  She left the field in pain and boy played on.  I watched the injured girl, who was immediately swarmed by her friends with overtures of sympathy.  I could take it no longer.  I signaled to my child to come and talk to me which I'm sure caused him no end of embarrassment.  I suggested that he should apologize to the wounded girl who by this time has limped (I have no idea why she needed to limp) to the swings.  Her minions had followed her and were casting nasty glances in our direction, to which my child was completely oblivious. "I think she's hurt and you should say sorry," I suggested in sweet motherie tones.  He shrugged at me, and as he ran to rejoin the fun he cast back at me, "Why?  It's soccer".

If that doesn't illustrate the difference between an 11yr old boy and 11yr old girl I don't know what does.  She is on the field to impress and be near boys.  He is just playing soccer.  I will relish these times and be grateful that he is completely unaware of the difference because in the not too distant future it won't be soccer.