Story and Soccer

I don't always watch sports, but when I do... I'm still a total, unabashed humanities nerd.

So as I watched a friend play in a local pickup soccer game (from under a nearby tree, with a flower in my hair, peeking over the top of my latest Summer read...), the thing that most intrigued me wasn't the score or even the (impressive) athletic chops of the players, but the humanness of what was happening on the field.

And here's what I observed: to really enjoy the game, I could watch it like I'd watch/read a story.

In a story, there's this objective-- this thing that either moves or doesn't move toward the goal. That's the plot. That's the progress of the soccer ball across the field, the score.

But if you're like me, you don't read for plot. You read for characters. The real concern, the thing of interest, is not where the ball is or where it's going, but the people who are making it move-- how they come together (or don't) to make it move (or not). You only identify with the outcome/score/ending because you've identified with the characters and the way they care (or don't) about the outcome.

In this game, there were some characters: Snarky Ponytail Guy, Past-His-Prime-But-Still-Unbelievably-Egotistical Guy, Insuppressably Tenacious Guy, and though the role changed, there was usually someone willing to be the much-needed Comic Relief. The way they came together--often collided-- provided the real drama.

Since I was there for a friend, I had a perspective, a point of view, and I could celebrate and wince in pain with him. I also knew who my villains were-- what was standing in the way of our goal. This why people ally with teams, isn't it?

I think, though, that I prefer to do the work of adopting multiple perspectives. A skilled story-maker can go close-third-person with multiple characters-- and sometimes make you feel kinda slimy for identifying with That One. I think it's easier to enjoy the art of what's happening if your only measure of success isn't whether Your Guy or Your Team gets what they want. You can admire the collaboration of the other team-- even if they are kind of assholes.

I think the players would agree with this last bit. I think so because I didn't see or hear anyone keeping score. This game was more about how they could develop as individuals and teammates-- the soccer ball was just a means to the end, something to come together around and work with. A context for the drama.

It's very human, this sportsy stuff.