Sunday, September 20, 2009

Strange Coin Toss

Because I hurt my back last weekend at a tournament, I was working an under-9 (7 & 8 year old) girls' recreational soccer game. I was prepared for some things to be a bit weird compared to the under-12 & under-13 club games that I normally do. But I wasn't prepared for what happened at the pre-game coin toss.
Two girls from each team, pink and blue, arrive at the center circle for the coin toss. Here is a rough transcript of what happened next.

Me (to one of blue's captains): Call it in the air
Captain: Okay

[I toss the coin in the air. She waits for the coin to hit the ground and looks at coin, which shows tails.]

Captain: Tails
Me (smiling): Cheater. Let's do that, again. Call it in the air.

[I again toss the coin in the air. She again waits for the coin to hit the ground and looks at the coin, which shows heads.]

Captain: Heads

At this point, I stare at her, dumbfounded. I couldn't decide if she was being serious. Did she not understand English? Did I say something unclear? Was she suffering from a cognitive impairment? Thankfully, her co-captain bailed me out and said, "I'll call it." We proceeded with the coin toss correctly, but I have to file this under the "Now I've Seen Everything" category.

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