Overcoming Adversity: A Lesson from My Son

Hello, everyone! Today, I want to share a deeply personal storey that beautifully illustrates the concept of overcoming adversity and the immense character it requires. As an under-14s football coach and a father, I've witnessed many moments on the pitch that have taught me valuable life lessons. However, none quite like what I experienced today, involving my 10-year-old son James.

Diary of a Runpreneur — Day 1588:

To give you a bit of context, I've been on a mission to save the lives of children by attempting the ultimate ultra-marathon of run vlogging on consecutive days, covering the distance of a lap of the world, barefoot. If you support my mission, please do give this a subscribed, share, like, or comment. The more people we reach, the more money we raise, and the more children's lives we save. This is why I dedicate myself to this every single day. Thank you for your support. Now, let’s dive into today’s storey.

I've spent years coaching youth football, from under-6s to under-14s, and I also referee games weekly, involving both boys and girls of various ages. My eldest son plays under-14s, my daughter took up football recently and plays under-12s, and my youngest son James plays under-10s. Today, I had the honour of refereeing my son's under-10s match.

James is typically a hard-working, box-to-box centre midfielder, not a goalkeeper. But recently, their regular keeper broke his finger and has been out of action. Without a reserve keeper, the kids took turns trying it out, and my son was one of the chosen few.

Last week, he kept a clean sheet for the first half, although I wasn't there to see it. Today, he started in goal again and had a strong performance right up until five minutes before half-time. A loose save from a slippery ball due to the wet surface led to an easy tap-in for the opposing team. It was a clear goalkeeping error, and they went into half-time 1-0 down.

Now, goalkeeping errors happen at every level, and I've seen how different individuals handle such disappointments. Often, children break down in tears from embarrassment and shame, while supportive teammates and coaches try to console them. However, the child's own feelings of having let the team down can heavily impact their game, resulting in a loss of confidence and subsequent mistakes.

But James reacted differently. As his father and referee, I had a quiet word with him, offering some encouragement. I reminded him he wasn’t a natural goalkeeper and that even the best keepers in the world make mistakes. I told him it’s the reaction to these mistakes that define one's character. He had two choices: hang his head and let the error affect the rest of his game, or muster the strength to fight back and make up for it.

I'm proud to say that James chose the latter. Only 30 seconds into the second half, he won the ball, passed it to a winger, and then slotted it past the keeper, equalising the score. This redemption acted as a catalyst for his performance, dominating the field and contributing significantly to the team’s 2-1 victory. Witnessing this episode filled me with immense pride and reaffirmed my belief in the human spirit's resilience.

The lesson here is that even a 10-year-old can make the conscious choice to confront adversity head-on rather than succumb to it. This choice—to fight rather than freeze or flee—can make all the difference in life.

Throughout our lives, we will all encounter difficult moments. It's crucial to remember that we always have a choice in how we respond to these challenges. More often than not, facing adversity with a proactive and positive attitude will lead us to overcome it, showcasing our true character.

Thank you for sharing in this journey with me. If you find value in my mission of saving children's lives through my daily ultra-marathon run vlogs, please subscribe, share, like, and comment. The more people we reach, the more lives we can impact. Stay positive, stay happy, and I'll see you again tomorrow.

Kevin Brittain