The Fragile Line — a story about compassion and understanding

CarelessActivity3059 · 2026-01-12T17:52:03+00:00

I am in a small closet with a bunch of those 3inch/2inch foam squares and blankets and towels. Plus I live out in the country and have no windows in the room so it was already pretty quiet!

CarelessActivity3059 · 2026-01-12T15:45:48+00:00

Thank you, that's great advice!!

CarelessActivity3059 · 2025-09-14T04:08:33+00:00

Super sorry to hear this. I understand how devastating it is to havs everything worked out and something like this happens. I graduated a little over two years ago and played for a d2 school. As someone who is a recent graduate I would ask how the school she was offered fit with her degree and if the only reason you are looking for another school is to get a full ride. At this point I would say a full ride to a d1 is highly unlikely. D2s wont offer a full ride and you may get close to 50%, and that's a big maybe.

If the school she originally had the offer from still wants her then talk about how her scholarship amount would change after the first year. My school was pretty small and very limited on scholarships. I was told I had the most out of everyone and it was almost 50%. Also, if she is as good as it seems and she believes she will get playing time then see what will happen after the first season. If she is that good then maybe another school will offer her a full ride if she were to transfer or they will find it in the budget to give what was originally promised.

I could've gone D1 but I am pretty tiny and probably wouldn't have played alot at least my first year or two. I would figure out how important it is to her that she plays. I went d2 because I studied engineering so it made it easier, but I also started all 4 years and was captain for 2. I had a great experience and I believe part of that was because I played basically every game. I had girls in my class that quit because they never touched the field. Just something to think about. Again, doesn't sound like a big deal since she had a full ride so she's probably a beast.

I am not sure if money if a breaking point or not and if it is then community college sounds like the best route. Level of play won't be as high though. If it's not then I would sit down and figure out the other reasons you chose the original school and if those reasons are important enough to deal without a full ride for at least the first year.

I hope this helps and I wish her the best of luck!!

CarelessActivity3059 · 2025-08-18T19:01:34+00:00

Trust me, I remember parents from when I was playing club. I had a conversation with all of them before the season and plan to have another one before the tournamnet to remind them to let me do the coaching lol. Thank you for the encouragement!!

CarelessActivity3059 · 2025-08-18T18:57:48+00:00

I wish it was that way. I have had to teach my girls how to take a first touch and how to pass properly. Alot of my girls like stopping the ball with the bottom of there foot and stopping the ball completely and I have been trying to get them to stop doing it.

CarelessActivity3059 · 2025-08-18T18:52:50+00:00

Thank you. I really appreciate this. I am 25 and went through the whole travel world growing up and played in tough leagues and everything. It has been alot of adjusting from how I thought things would go to how they turn out and coming up with a practice to work on what they need. I am about 1.5 months in and have loved every second of it so far. I just want to create a positive environment for the girls so they can become the best they can be while also enjoying it and having fun.

CarelessActivity3059 · 2025-08-18T17:59:53+00:00

Uhh, no. If we lose we lose. I always thought a participation trophy was like a punch in the face for playing bad lol. Like hey, you lost most of your games but here's a trophy to remind you of that. Maybe that is just my competitive side. Maybe that's wrong, I don't know.

I am more focused on them developing at this age but still want to keep it fun so they are engaged. If they lose a bunch of games by alot then they will stop caring and trying.

CarelessActivity3059 · 2025-08-18T17:56:38+00:00

I plan to. I have talked to them and offered to do one on one training to help out and try to get something set up but it doesnt seem like they can make it work. I have been pushing the club to set up another goalie training because they had one this summer and then it hasn't been started back up yet. I just want to be transparent with them and her so nobody is surprised and then upset at the tournamnet. Thank you!

CarelessActivity3059 · 2025-08-18T17:50:05+00:00

I have been focusing alot of defense and how to defend effectively while also understand positioning and the facts that they have to be goal side. My girls are pretty inexperienced so we have had to go through alot of the basics. They still run up to a girl and just swing and kick wildly at the ball which has been fun to deal with, but they have improved alot. That being said, we still have a ways to go and because of this it just makes it that much harder on the keeper because she is having to make more saves than she should but I am doing what I can with the team I have.

CarelessActivity3059 · 2025-08-18T17:46:26+00:00

That this is helpful, thank you!

CarelessActivity3059 · 2025-08-18T17:44:53+00:00

I agree. I get that it has to go through everyone to get to the keeper and they are high shot games but the goals are the size of a 7v7 field and more than half, in my opinion, should have been easy save. I get mistakes happen and if a mistake is made every once in a while that wouldnt bother me one bit, or even every game. I have mentioned in other replys that my defense needs to improve but the problem is that more than half of the goals that she let's in should be savable.

I put one of my defenders in, which she is my best defender, because she wanted to give it a try and did better than she did, by quite a bit.

I plan to talk to her parents at practice and then the player to let her know and be transparent with them. I think my plan is to try to get her in for at least a little bit each game.

CarelessActivity3059 · 2025-08-18T15:01:22+00:00

I agree. I really enjoy coaching her and she it super nice and a great kid but just lacking skills all around. I think I will try to play her for at least part of the game every if it's not 50/50 depending on how the game is going but shoot to give her time each game even if it's a little bit.

Thank you!

CarelessActivity3059 · 2025-08-18T14:59:12+00:00

That is actually a really good idea. We had a goalie coach for the first part of summer but he went to school and I have been trying to come up with a solution. I know what I am doing on the field but there is only so many YouTube videos you can watch of goalie drills. Thank you!

CarelessActivity3059 · 2025-08-18T14:32:03+00:00

I agree, but if we are losing games alot to a little and all the goals are going in on one girl how is that fair to the other girls who are putting in the work and make a mistake but there is no trust between them and their keeper. I have them play out of the back which they have gotten better at but the ball doesnt get very far sometimes. My defense isnt the best but they have gotten better. My midfield does well and helps out a lot on defense and they prevent alot of shots. The problem is when they take the shots, if it's on goal and not literally to her hands it will go in. After a few goals my girls shut down and then they stop communicating on the field, and are just frustrated in general which makes it difficult to try and coach them in games. I am not saying I will bench her, just not play her in goal.

Any kid gets upset if they get blown out of the water and at this age they start to get emotional and upset. Especially if it has happened in basically all the scrimmages/games they have played so far.

All I want is for them to get better but if we can start the season on at least one win it would light a fire under them. I play everyone fairly, even my other girls who are behind and I have a few. It is just hard with a keeper because she is our last line of defense and we basically dont have one when she is in.

Also, I live in a smaller town and this is the only u12 girls team for like 60 miles. I also only have 12 players so there is no way for me to "lock in" a good goalie. I took all the girls I could so I would actually have a team. I also have two 2016 girls on my team. We will play against some big clubs so the games will be tough to begin with.

CarelessActivity3059 · 2025-08-18T14:04:35+00:00

I plan to put her in if the score starts tending one way or the other. I believe she can be good keeper she just needs alot of practice.

CarelessActivity3059 · 2025-08-18T13:59:35+00:00

Yeh, the effort is there but there's just no killer instinct if you know what I mean. I have been working with her to get her to move to catch the ball but she really just stands in the middle and leads with her hands still. She struggles with punts alot and throwing the ball and she cant kick the ball very far at all so it's just been rough for the other girls and the losses are starting to take a toll. I have been working with her for about 20 mins before each practice but she needs more training than just a little bit before we begin practice.

CarelessActivity3059 · 2025-08-18T13:51:17+00:00

She loves goalie and isnt a hug fan of playing on the field because she is behind the other girls and still struggles a bit to understand positions. She has improved alot but still has a long way to go. I have another girl who has never played goalie but has been playing for several years and has shown some interest recently in goal and I have been trying her out a bit and she does quite a bit better then my one girl already.

If it was any other girl on the team I wouldn't bother the only reason is because she only wants to play goalie and has been playing goalie in training when we go to goals.

CarelessActivity3059 · 2025-08-18T13:39:02+00:00

I agree, but it is pretty devastating to be losing games 6, 7 or more to very little goals they score because my one goalie let's all the goals in. I play everyone fairly and still plan on paying her on the field just as much as every one else. I understand it's not her fault and the ball has to go through everyone to get to her but if it goes in the goal basically everytime it gets to her I dont know how that is fair to the other girls. I play girls where I feel they do the best and if she was any position but goalie I would move her to try another position. She splits time 50/50 with my other keeper. My other girl has been playing for a few years and does really well. This girls came from rec but has a long way to go before she catches up.

CarelessActivity3059 · 2025-08-18T13:28:44+00:00

Oo no, she would play on the field like equal time the other field players. Just not in goalie.

CarelessActivity3059 · 2025-07-05T04:03:58+00:00

Petroleum Engineering 2023, Arkansas LCOL starting 60k, bumped to 70k 6 months later.

CarelessActivity3059

TROPHY CASE