Comment: Rain? Who cares? We have a game to play

It’s the one title nearly every athlete across the board longs to add to his or her résumé.

It garners more glitz and glamour than just about any other competitive title, and it elevates those who are lucky enough to have received the coveted crown to an elite status.

So with all of the hype and accolades surrounding it, it’s easy to see why, when I ask just about every one of my athletes what his or her goals are for the season, winning a state championship is is by far the common response.

Of course, although every athlete dreams of winning a state title, the odds of it routinely happening aren’t good. But that doesn’t keep them from striving to run faster, kick the ball farther or play harder.

After all, when a state championship is on the line, everything else takes a back seat, including injuries or unfavorable conditions.

Such was the case this past Sunday, when I looked out my window to see the monsoon that had unleashed itself from the sky.

My first thought was, ‘Seriously? You’re kidding me, right?’ You can imagine my enthusiasm at the thought of going out to cover the Florida Youth Soccer Association State Cup in the pouring rain.

Oh yes, soccer players — they play in the rain. But even this was a little much. If the lakes forming in my backyard was any indication, it was going to be one giant mess out at the Premier Sports Campus at Lakewood Ranch.

Luckily, the rain subsided earlier than predicted, and the sun slowly began to peak out of the clouds — thus allowing me to check out some of the state’s most talented U13 and U16 boys soccer teams.

As I made my way across the fields, which were still soggy, I noticed the players’ reactions. Even as they were sloshing around in the rain-slicked grass and doing their best to dribble around an unexpected mud puddle here or there, the players’ competitive spirit never waned.

The players had come to play in the preliminary round of the state cup. A state title was on the line. Two months from now, boys and girls youth soccer teams from across the state will be crowned state champions of their respective divisions, and there was no way a little wet grass was going to put a damper on the players’ spirits.

And I have the photos to prove it.