The Reserve Boy

We all in one way or the other, require some instigators, some stimuli to be in a ‘Go – Get – It’ mood.

Here’s a beautiful story about a boy who was always kept in the reserves (during a football match) by his coach. The coach was not able to give him a chance because his team was full of mature and established players. The boy would be disheartened, every time he is denied the opportunity. But he kept his faith and motivational factor, intact.

His motivation was none else than his father, who unfortunately was blind. His father would come every time a match was played, expecting his boy on the field. Then, at last, the opportune moment came. One of the key players in the team was injured and the reserve boy was given the green signal.

What happened in the next 90 minutes was something which not a single soul in the stadium, could have dreamed of. This boy was, literally, taking the breath away from the spectators, needless to say the plight of the opposition team. The score line read: 6 – 1, in favor of our reserve boy’s team. The boy had scored, whooping, 5 goals.

After the match, the coach who was cursing himself for keeping this budding talent in the reserves, asked the boy. “What was that dear? That was the best debut I have seen in my entire coaching life”

The boy lowered his head. He was sobbing. He said, “This was the first match my father saw from above and I had sworn that I would give my best shot”. His father had died the night before. Drops of tears were rolling on the listener’s face….