Finding the Value in the Hard Games
This weekend, the Northern Utah United 13G Futures stepped into a match against Meta Sports FC 13G that looked difficult before the first whistle ever blew.
The 13G pool had run into a rare predicament. There was a State Cup match needing players, a Futures game, and then a Navy game directly after. As lineups shifted and players were called where needed most, the Futures roster was already short.
Then, as the girls began arriving, stretching, and preparing for kickoff, another message came through from their coach.
They would be playing with a 10 player roster.
One player laughed and said,
“We’re cooked.”
The girls burst into laughter.
Then another voice answered back.
“We got this.”
And just like that, something changed.
Confidence in the Chaos
What spread through that group of girls in that moment was something special.
Not panic.
Not excuses.
Not fear.
Confidence.
These girls believed they could compete. Their coach believed they could compete. And from the sideline, you could feel that belief begin to grow.
Were people frustrated? Of course.
Parents felt it.
Players felt it.
The coach felt it.
But instead of dwelling there, the game began.
And these girls got to work.
Grit on Full Display
Playing a player down changes everything.
Spacing changes.
Runs become longer.
Recovery becomes harder.
Mistakes feel bigger.
Fatigue arrives faster.
Yet this group adapted.
They battled.
They listened.
They adapted.
And when Kennedy Calhoun found the back of the net to give Northern Utah United a goal, the girls had something tangible to show for their fight.
They were in it.
They were holding strong.
For stretches of the first half, they forced the match to be earned every step of the way.
Growth You Cannot Teach in Easy Games
With one fewer field player, their goalkeeper was suddenly placed into an entirely new environment.
More space to defend.
More pressure.
More decision making.
A completely different game than she had experienced before.
And yet, she kept learning in real time.
As fatigue set in and the pace of the match tested every player on the field, halftime arrived with the score at 1 – 2.
What Good Coaching Looks Like
At halftime, the coach did something every parent should notice.
He acknowledged the frustration.
He validated what the girls were feeling.
And he reminded them that the keywords echoing across the large field were support. Guidance. Reminders of lessons learned in the past. Help in a difficult moment as they navigated the demands of managing fatigue through organization, discipline, and purposeful play.
As a parent, that matters.
That is proper coaching.
That is leadership.
Then Something Changed
The second half brought one of the most valuable moments of the day.
The sideline instructions began to slow down.
And the girls began solving the game themselves.
They started making adjustments independently.
They recognized pressure sooner.
They held the high line.
They covered spaces faster.
They learned to manage fatigue.
They adapted together.
That is where the real value lives.
Not always in the scoreline.
But in the growth.
What This Team Learned Today
This was not just a game. It was a classroom.
These girls learned:
- How to compete through adversity
- How to stay positive when circumstances are tough
- How to communicate under pressure
- How to trust each other
- How to problem solve in real time
- How to fight through fatigue
- How to keep composure when emotions are high
- How to adapt tactically in a new situation
Now imagine how prepared they will be the next time life or soccer asks something hard of them.
From the Coach’s Perspective
What was seen today was bigger than a result.
Training sessions from the past came to life under the demands of covering a large 11v11 field, playing a player down, and missing some outstanding teammates.
- The focus sharpened.
- The whiteboard became meaningful because players desperate to absorb every detail.
- Individuals were challenged to become leaders.
- The scoreline mattered, but it never changed their commitment to one another.
- Not a single complaint about the circumstances. Only resilience, togetherness, and purpose.
- Parents and spectators, recognized maturity and growth.
- The smiles in the middle of adversity were deafening.
The coach wasn’t worried, saying, “The girls train hard and compete for each other. This is why development and sisterhood matter—not for easy days, but for difficult ones. When pressure arrives, preparation is revealed and relationships are challenged.”
Players Who Represented the NUU Family Today
Futures Players
- Blakely Bair
- Clara Davis
- Clara Dryden
- Kaleigh Ratto (GK)
- Kennedy Calhoun
- Maddie Lillywhite
- Taylie Geary
- Avery Robertson
- Claire White
- McKenzie Bingham
To the Fellow Soccer Mom
I know hard days can be frustrating.
I know schedules, numbers, and circumstances can feel overwhelming. I know it is easy to ask, How did this happen?
But I challenge you to look deeper.
Look at the girls who laughed in the face of adversity.
Look at the players who chose belief.
Look at the team who learned more in one hard game than many easy ones.
Look at the resilience being built right in front of us.
Sometimes the greatest growth comes wrapped in the hardest moments.
Today, I saw girls become stronger.
I saw coaching done the right way.
I saw a team refuse to fold.
And I hope, as a fellow soccer mom, that in moments like these we all pause long enough to see the United way.
Signing off,
A fellow soccer mom 
