This week it was a draw (tie)...

Stay on your toes.
Don't go on your heels.
Arms up.
Focus.
Move to your left.
"Come on and drop back left!"
This is it, it's just me and her. I can do this. She's not going to score. Down. Yes. I got it.

Being a field hockey goalie is a huge rush. There are times when it's just you against one person and that person has the advantage. And then you stop them. Sometimes you even take them out. And your team cheers. You know you did the right thing.

Other times, you make a mistake. If you were a field player, then it wouldn't be so big a deal cause someone else would be behind you. But a goalie mistake can mean a goal. It's hard, after being scored upon, to get back into focus...to not think about what you did wrong for too long. Cause you want to think about it a bit, to recognize what you can do better...but to focus too much is to bring yourself out of the current moment.

So there you are. In the moment. You don't feel the weather (usually cold or wet). You are just focused on the ball...on your players...on their players. You are yelling out. Cheering. Moving.

And seventy minutes later, you can relax. Game over. And hopefully, you can leave the game and feel good about what you did. You may not have won, but if you did your job well, then at least you can be proud. You can't score the goals to win a game, but you can try to help your team not lose.