Promotions and Relegations

Avoid that feeling!

What, another soccer blog? Yes! Talk about what you know, right?
In European sports, with a focus today on the English Premier League, they have a system of relegations and promotions. In the EPL, the bottom 3 teams will be relegated to the Football League Championship, and the top 2 teams of the Football League Championship automatically get promoted to the EPL, then the next 4 compete in a playoff, the winner promoting also. It's a good way of helping out those littler teams, offering them greater advancement, and giving them a spotlight that they wouldn't be able to get. They can increase their fan base, bring in more money, and stand a better chance of getting better players and continue to improve. However, it's also kind of a slap in the face to those EPL teams who are suddenly bumped into a lower league. It really keeps you focused. Obviously no one wants to finish bottom of the table, but when the threat is leaving the league you're in and bumping down to Football League Championship, it makes it that much more meaningful (I mean, seriously, how many of you have even heard of Football League Championship?). It's got to be pretty exciting for those teams to know that they were good enough to get a shot at Premier League glory! They worked hard, and got a promotion! The possibilities are endless now: FA Cup, Carling Cup, the League, Champions League! As long as they keep their drive, work really hard, and get enough money to get the good players, all these things are possible.
We all have that chance to be promoted or relegated. We can make the right decisions, and work hard, and get to the point where we're better than we were before. We can grow and become more successful. However, once we get there, we can't just stop. We have to continue to work hard. Often you see teams getting promoted to the EPL, then the very next season get relegated back down. You can't let that happen. Once you get promoted, work hard. Do everything you can. Don't fall back into that lower level. As we progress through life, and do what we should, we'll continue to grow and become stronger. We'll have the ability to overcome trials and temptations and continue to improve. We need to be wary not to fall into the trap of complacency, because we then run the risk and losing our footing and falling. Work hard, get promoted, keep working hard, stay in the Premier League, work harder, win the League. Notice a theme there?

On the Best Football Club Imaginable

I love soccer. It is by far and away my favorite sport. The amazing skill and athleticism required to play the game is amazing. The average soccer player will run anywhere from 6 to 8 miles a game. Factor in that they play 2 or 3 games a week, and that's just 16-24 miles in game play. There's still practice, which could be up to 9 or 10 miles of running, and they practice everyday. It takes a good deal of stamina, timing, skill, foot-eye coordination (which is tougher than hand-eye coordination), and a good bit of luck. I don't know if you've ever tried to kick a ball, and make it noticeably curve, several feet, then come back and hit on target, but it's not easy. Far from it. There are players who can stand outside the box, which is 54 feet from the goal, and crank a perfect shot that curves to where it looks like it's going to not come anywhere near the goal, then suddenly curve back in and squeak in the upper corner of the goal. Players will practice so they can hit the crossbar every time from outside that 54 foot box. The talent they posses is amazing. But, soccer (or football) is still a team sport (despite what Wayne Rooney or Cristiano Ronaldo may like to think). Every person plays a huge part in the game, a major role being just support. Whether you're forward, middie, or defense, you support the rest of your team. In soccer, you're a defender who attacks, and an attacker who defends. Despite what your normal position is, your overall desire is the same as all the other player's: keep the ball from going in your net, and get it into the theirs. 10 people (because the keeper just stays in the goal, he doesn't do much else) all trying to get that little ball to the other side of the field. It would be impossible to do that on your own.
This is just like Missionary Work. My team is the Montana Billings Mission, our pitch is Montana and the Great Horn Basin of Wyoming, our manager is President Larry H. Gardner, our owner is the Lord, and we're playing our biggest rival: Satan. This is bigger than the MLS Cup, bigger than the Carling or FA Cup, bigger than the Champions League, or the UEFA Euro Cup, or even the FIFA World Cup. This isn't just for a cool trophy, lots of money, worldwide respect and notoriety. This is for the salvation of our brothers and sisters. And we can't do it alone. I can't do it without the Spirit, and without my companion. We as a companionship can't do it without the support of the members, and no one can do it without the Lord. We're all on the ultimate All-Star team: we have better forwards than Ibrahimovich, Drogba, or Messi, better midfielders than Lampard, Ronaldinho, or Donovan, better defenders than Puyol, Pique, or Terry, and better keepers than Howard or Casillas. Our forward is the Spirit, our midfielder is Christ, our defender is the Truth, and our Keeper is our Heavenly Father. How could we possibly lose?

Those who know me won't be surprised that I used a picture of Didier Drogba of Chelsea.