I shouldn't be typing this from San Antonio. I should be with my colleagues celebrating the successes of running the tournament. Celebrations from our officials who deserve praise for making these tournaments happen. The celebrations that 2 national champions and 2 open champions should be sharing with their teams now. The celebrations that should have included medals...medals that I saw being packed away before I left Phoenix, never to be worn.
I shouldn't have thought about writing this as I was lifting off from DFW heading for San Antonio and seeing out of my window 2, lit soccer fields which reminded me of what we were missing tonight.
We didn't want the rain.
The rain that fell almost continuously for 31 hours. The rain that postponed both Friday AND Saturday high school football playoffs. The rain that made the fields unplayable and unsafe.
The rain that canceled the tournament and led to frustration by all and anger by few. The few who suggested that we ignore risk involved and play on. Ignore the same risk that we as professionals deal with for club practices, club travel and club games ALL of the time. Something that would be unnatural for us to do.
The few who suggested we have an alternate rain plan. A plan we had and did not want to use. A different plan that involved other field locations without agreements in place. Agreements that take place years in advance, not days. A different plan that would not have been free. A different plan that would drive up the cost of the tournament. A different plan we don't want.
The few who wouldn't have minded tearing up the fields rendering them unplayable for weeks. Unplayable for youth flag football games to take place this Monday, for a soccer tournament next weekend, for 4 soccer tournaments still to be played in December and 2 more flag football days to be played in December.
Damaging fields are one thing (and costly)...damaging a relationship is another. The relationship with Reach 11 that has been strong and still is. The relationship that actually allowed us to have a plan for Saturday and waiting until the last minute to cancel when other places wouldn't have given anyone a chance. The relationship that will continue now to hopefully play a future tournament there without the rain. Like the 2009-2011 tournaments. Like the ones we know we will have again. A relationship that is not easy to create with field complexes across the nation. It is the reason we come back. Because they want us here but not at the cost of damaging their resource which we could have done. A decision that could have ended that relationship...which we don't want.
The staff didn't want this.
We didn't want to make this decision. We didn't want to hang out and tour Phoenix. We didn't want to play games, tell stories, watch football games. We didn't want to create the bonds we will cherish forever in the way it happened. Those bonds and moments should have taken place after 11pm when we got back to the hotel and during the games that should have been played.
What we wanted were the long days. Waking up at 6am and working from about 6:45am until 11pm with our fellow officials. We wanted to watch great soccer. We wanted to get to know the great student-athletes that make this tournament great. We wanted great stories to occur from the competition on the field. We wanted to celebrate our achievements but more importantly we wanted to celebrate YOUR achievements.
But it didn't happen.
All of us are frustrated and some are angry and we understand. We share the frustration and some of the anger. We will discuss how we can make this right. Discussions that will take place when everyone returns to their home bases and may be decided after the holiday.
Rest assured that we care about this tournament. It is the reason many of us come back and will always try to be back. The atmosphere is unmatched in any other sport in my opinion. The games, the officials, the teams, the staff, the fans, the families, the parents, the wins, the losses, the draws, the tiebreakers, the competition, the sportsmanship, the teamwork, the struggle, the long days, the cold nights, the early mornings, the late nights, the all-tournament teams, the most outstanding goal keeper, the MVPs, the national champions and everything else that makes this tournament unique and awesome.
This is what we wanted...this is what we want when we return next year to Memphis. I hope to see you there.
