Sunday, March 24, 2002
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Sunday, March 24, 2002 |
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Soccer player wins national contest Playing on a soccer team has taught one 4th grader more than how to improve his game. Griffin Gainer, a student at Fayetteville Intermediate, has been playing soccer since he was three years old. Recently he decided to take his love for the sport and put it into words for an essay contest sponsored by Soccer Jr. magazine, a national publication for children interested in soccer. In his 250-word essay, Gainer does not talk about the game itself but rather how being involved with soccer has taught him the importance of teamwork and how being a team player has made a positive impact on his life. "Being on a team has been great. You can form some great friendships. You don't have to do everything by yourself; you have help. Your teammates assist," he wrote. Gainer's essay caught the eyes of the judges and he was awarded second place. He says he was amazed when the magazine called him at home to tell him the good news. "We were in a hurry because we were meeting some of my teammates to carpool to a game in Savannah," he said. "The phone rang and I answered it. It was Soccer Jr. magazine. They told me I won and I couldn't believe it." By taking second place, Gainer will receive MLS (Major League Soccer) and WUSA (women's soccer) soccer balls as well as have his name listed in the March or April issue of the magazine. Gainer says he entered the contest with the encouragement of his father. Each year, he and his dad write their own New Year's resolutions. One of his was to enter at least two contests with one being away from school. "It's important to have a chance to win something. I like prizes," he said. To date Gainer estimates that he has played more than 15 seasons of soccer. Up until two years ago, he was a recreational player before joining the Lightning organization. "I just love it. They've made me quite the player," he said.
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