# Can I play for the other side?

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-cambridge-soccer-switch-sides
- Themes: competition, cooperation, sport, humour
- Life situations: sport, competitive environment

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

In his last ever soccer match, for his Cambridge college, the other team turns up with only nine players against eleven. By half-time his side is about six-nil up, so he asks his captain if he can play for the other side in the second half to make a game of it. The captain swears at him: 'We're here to win.' He never played again — for him it was about fun, not winning.

## The story, as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

The last soccer match I ever played this is absolutely true for the college you know which I went to in Cambridge if you know soccer it's 11 aside only nine of their team turned up and we were 11 so we had two more players than they did and at halfime after 45 minutes we were about 6n up it was such a onesided game that I went to my captain and said, "Can I play on the other side for the second half to make a game of it?" He swore at me. He said, "No, we're here to win." And that just I wasn't going to play anymore because for me it was like playing for fun. It didn't matter who won.

## Teaching point

Competition breeds jealousy; play and work for the joy of it, not just to win.

## Reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

Six-nil up against a team of nine, young Ajahn Brahm asked to swap sides for the second half to make a game of it. His captain swore at him: we're here to win. He never played again. Winning at all costs spoils the joy. Play, and work, for the fun of it, and give the other side the ball now and then.

## Source

- [Jealousy | by Ajahn Brahm | 15-11-2013](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nBSPHe1RCc) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 38:45 to 39:37: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nBSPHe1RCc&t=2325s

Other tellings of this story:

- [Ending Conflict | Ajahn Brahm | 22-10-2010](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZ6R-MeXNuo) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 29:50 to 31:15: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZ6R-MeXNuo&t=1790s