He's just joined a new team and as the training was at a field we hadn't been to before and there were several teams from his club practising at the same time, we weren't sure exactly where he was supposed to be.
I approached one of the coaches and asked if this was the team Luke was in.
He responded by saying he doubted it as this was "the team", the top team in the grade, a team you had to trial to get into.
I agreed this was probably not the team we were looking for but the coach suggested Luke join his boys and he'd see how he went.
At that point I felt extremely nervous for Luke. I could already tell these kids were in a different league to him and he probably could too, but he joined them on the field for a mock game anyway and played his best.
They ran rings around him. Not only that, but they weren't very nice about it.
Several of them jeered when he missed a tackle, others groaned when his kicks weren't quite on target.
He was in over his head but I felt incredibly proud when he soldiered on and kept trying.
When he tripped over the ball and someone laughed I felt sure he was going to walk off the field. But he didn't.
He held his head up high, kept trying, and with just a few minutes left, scored a magnificent goal!
I felt the same excitement that any parent would at that moment, whooping and hollering from the sideline like the proud and slightly embarrassing step mum I am.
- Sarah
• Don't miss Adam Green and Sarah Van Der Kley on The Hits Hawke's Bay from 6am to 9am Monday to Friday.
