My Other CR7...Chris Lemons, Flying High with the Eagles

2009 Charlotte Eagles


CRL7

CRL7 in action

Kaka post-game in Milan

"In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit." --Albert Schweitzer

In my skant 43 years on Earth, I have been blessed to have so many different experiences. My mother wanted her children to be well-rounded. She put us in everything from art classes (I'm a calligrapher) to music classes (I play the piano, sing, and used to play the viola), and we played every sport imaginable (except for soccer!). I had a natural inclination to athleticism...I could run fast, had great balance (from gymnastics and dance), and thanks to my older brothers, I wasn't afraid to bruise myself playing tackle football, or whatever mauling sport they were in to at the time. But our well-rounded pursuits weren't restricted to just sports and hobbies. My parents packed us in the car every Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night and headed off to church, where we received the best kind of fundamentals...how to be a good person.

Yes, I know that this blog is about footy. As you've read in my previous posts (and if you haven't...well...what are you waiting for?), I love watching soccer. I've never played organized soccer, and I don't claim to know everything there is about the game...well...that's not quite true. I DO, however, know someone who's life has been dedicated not only to soccer, but to utilizing the beautiful game for a higher purpose.

I met this person when he was a very young thing, kicking soccer balls around outside church with the other young things. As older kids (I can't believe I'm saying this...13.5 years older), we used to harass them (in a fun way) by taking their balls and making them chase us. It's ironic now that one such child (whom it took a whole 2 seconds to steal the ball back from me) has made a living out of kicking soccer balls...my friend, Chris...CRL7.

Fast forward many years (no number will appear here). Chris played college soccer for the Oklahoma Christian Eagles, then launched into the professional ranks, playing in such locales as Wales, Virginia, Colorado (MLS Rapids), Cleveland, Raleigh, and Charlotte. This blog will start in Raleigh...

I had seen Chris after college, when he was substituting at the private school in which I interpreted. It was several years later that his name flashed across in facebook and I thought, "I wonder where he is playing now?" It was then that I found out he was playing for the Carolina Railhawks of the USL-1. Soccer in the US (and around the world) is broken into divisions. The MLS (major league soccer), USL-1, USL-2, PDL, etc...are some of the leagues. The Railhawks play in the USL-1 and it was just my luck that their games were broadcast (via the internet). So...I watched a few matches, then a few more matches, and before you know it I was watching all of them (even while traveling for work...to the chagrin of my colleagues).

Chris is an all-around player, and by that I mean he is like a triple-threat. He is fast, thinks well on his feet, and can play any position. I'm not sure he's ever been a keeper but I'm sure he would be good at it!

After last season I wrote to Chris to tell him that I had been watching him. Fearing that he would think, "another groupie...we footballers have to put up with this all the time...*talk to the hand*" it took me several months before I would actually send the note. I wanted to tell him that he was doing a great job and that at the end of the season (when he didn't play as much), the team was faltering without him. Most matches I wanted to throttle the coach and then to top it off, one of the announcers had a rare gift for sticking in my craw (whatever a craw is). But Chris (thankfully) put the Railchickens in his rearview and headed down the interstate to Charlotte.

This season Chris returned to a team that he played with previously. It is a unique team, in that they aren't just about soccer. The Charlotte Eagles have a mission to further Christ's reach through the beautiful game.

After starting out as a defender, he moved to central midfielder...which is his best position. Midfielders are like quarterbacks...they need to see the play ahead before it happens. Chris, as I said above, has that innate ability to feel the game and the Eagles soared into the USL-2 Championship game on the end of an 8-game win streak. Unfortunately they didn't win the match, but in true Chris fashion, his text after the game said, "in the end they were just better than us."

The Eagles conduct soccer camps during the summer as well. Some of Chris' young charges would leave messages on his facebook wall. Listening to their voices made it obvious that the impact of the Eagles on the pitch was not as important as the impact they had off of it. Yes, they're athletes and they want to win...but the old adage of "how you play the game" isn't necessarily manifested in goal tallies. Their giggly voices (very obvious in written form) of "Chrissss Lemonnssssss" and "Juicy Lemons" might seem innocuous but then you realize that they're not writing on Britney Spears' (ugghh...don't get me started) page or Lindsey Lohan's page. They have role models who are playing life's game the right way.

This past summer when I was in the throes of misery over Cristiano leaving for Madrid, it was Chris who kept me grounded. Yes, he understood the loss...he's a Manchester United fan as well. But he also understood the pull CR felt...fulfilling dreams is important. For those of us who have passed the age of expiration, when life becomes more about settling in than trying new things, it was difficult for me to remember that CR is only 24. He still has a ways to go before his dreams fade into the reality that all of us face...we're getting older! :)

Imagine the impact CR could make if he practiced the same ideals as the other CR...CRL7. One of CR's teammates in Madrid (Kaka) ends his matches by removing his shirt to reveal another underneath...I BELONG TO JESUS.

My friend Chris has put his life in someone else's hands. And the endgame has a better reward. I'm so thankful every day that I wrote that note...