Playing with the highest

In math class was surrounded by numbers, together with theorems and equations involved. I looked around and saw that my companions had the same face of bewilderment at what he told the teacher on the blackboard. I do not know if they were thinking the same thing I do suspect that in the case of many. I checked my watch, only ten minutes to it to sound the bell and gave early recess, this little world of half an hour of fun where for a moment forget the books and notebooks, and I guess today is equivalent to the coffee machine. That day was important because we played our little play in Champions League school, where the cream racing and not so much the last years of the EGB .

To avoid the Barcelona- BATE Real Madrid or Otelul Galati mixed students from different courses in a voting system without apparent media black hand or favor. Whenever known masters, students in more advanced courses were seeded and naturally the first to be elected. It was his own. Those in my class aspired to be a player and a surprise revelation, but the main mission was to catch the ball and give it to the elderly. With ten years and were already hard times. A single year of age could make a difference over that last time you can envision as more psychological than physical or technical, but the biggest play was both a privilege and a responsibility .

Because five out of school and after completion of school obligations, everything was different and each course beans sought to play their games before going home to do homework. Only a select few were occasionally invited to play with the highest for two main reasons: because it greatly stressed or because they had to fill an empty slot. They could turn this party jugases them in your worst nightmare in the form of running one place to another without coming to look closely at the ball. Drilling of goal was a chimera, often consisting of two bags that served as poles and caused endless discussions. The goal referees, a luxury today.

Tired to finish the game, outside the touch of a ball that had seen it move from one place to another, but happy. The next day their status was different, had managed a small victory in your bag novice even victories which were already playing with the older, and that is something that involves. Although they were born just over 197 days before you. But they were stronger, taller and had played more, and were willing to prove it. They had the gift of experience.

The stage of the school came to an end and reached high school. I played in an official team where I played as a goalkeeper in the difficult areas of land. I had already noticed that the gloves were mine. The differences were not as large and a year just to distance, but were still looking at the superior team category with a halo of dominance and supremacy, remained the largest.

On the border between the cadet and youth football I had to play with a young freshman season, which, with 14 years as rivals would be up to 18 players. So I saw in the corners between taller people, with the dual back beard and prominent compared to four hairs beginning to poke counted down my face. Supposedly it was I who had to rise above them and get the ball, against those rivals whom I imagined as a giant battle-hardened, although eighteen met me realize that even we were just windmills wind. It was a difficult year but rewarding, where I learned much more than they would have learned if I had been in cadets as my age demanded.

The other day I saw the front of the Granada Athletic Club, and I noticed above all in the No. 19 Lions in Iker Muniain. With 18 years and amazing technical conditions, the front still has the semblance of Navarre and gestures which still plays on the street or at school, the choice that is capable of playing with older people. Already developed for the physical play in the elite, Muniain can play against the best, faces in the league to Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, or veteran Albelda and Munitis, almost twice his age and battle-hardened, these other. I imagined Muniain defending under-21 national team jersey and watching the absolute, to Xavi, Casillas and company, world champions, also Llorente and Javi Martinez, teammates, fans like the elderly, as the examples imitate in the place where one day want to be him.

Not only Muniain: Isco also, Canales, Thiago, Sarabia, Jairo and company. Raul also reminded that at age 17 went to La Romareda ready to take on the world from the first minute. Have failed or have just reached their twenties, and they are competing with the big because they have talent, but with everything still to learn but sometimes we try hard to equate. As school kids, they also hope to highlight heavily or find a free slot in the elderly.

Photo | Kenneth Cruz