Five minutes too long

Palm Coast Observer
Opinion

Over the past two months, I’ve watched quite a bit of high school soccer. So, naturally, my itch to return to the pitch has gotten extremely irritating.

After some convincing, I came out of retirement last weekend. I grabbed my cleats — which used to be white, but are now chunked with orange clay from playing softball — and my silver Nike shin guards that I’ve used since I was about 15. Those things just won’t go away.

I joined a coed team in the Beaches Adult Soccer League — the nonprofit, Jacksonville-based soccer league that holds men’s, women’s and coed leagues in Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Flagler.

Our first game was last Sunday, and we won 12-4.

When Bryan Meyer, the captain of the team, asked me what position I wanted to play, my answer was pretty simple: Just throw me up at striker, I said.

That’s because I’m terribly out of shape. In fact, I was gassed after the first five minutes.

I blame that on the fact that I was playing midfield, not forward.

I’m sure I’ll get my game shape back after a couple of games, but two 25-minute halves is a lot. I look at the high school teams now (and remember back when I played at Flagler Palm Coast), and these athletes are playing 80-minute games.

And, for the most part, they don’t do a whole lot of subbing.

Those were the good old days.

What I should be doing throughout the week is working on my cardio to get my fitness level up.

Instead, I’m scouring the Internet, trying to find the latest and greatest celebrations on YouTube for next weekend, when I plan to score 12 goals by myself.

Speaking of the Internet ...

Tweet, tweet
In today’s day of instant information and at-your-fingertips news, Twitter has become one of the more essential tools for a journalist.

Fortunately, people in Flagler County use Twitter, too.

Over the last few months, I’ve been able to interact with many sources, officials, readers and student-athletes through my Twitter account.

In covering high school sports, Twitter has become a great link between me and the readers.

It’s great to see these student-athletes interact with me on there. They are the first to let me know they don’t agree with my opinion, and they are the first to thank me for coming to their games.

It’s my job, I tell them. I’m just telling their stories.

Join in on the madness (and news/sports tips) and follow me @aobrien7.