Soccer – Let the Games Begin!

The season has started.

In all its glory.

(Okay, there really is not much glory – but the kids sure look cute in their uniforms, Riley is a great assistant coach and Piper is a pretty effective cheerleader.)

We’re just at the beginning of the season but it’s funny already.

There’s the I-expected-this-but-not-from-you – Hawkeye.

He pretty much just wants to drink the water from his cool new officially-sanctioned-by-his-soccer-team water bottle.  “Berg, don’t you want to play?”  I ask.  He answers, “Mommy, I think you should write my whole name, B-E-R-G-E-N, on my water bottle instead of just the B you already wrote.”

While everyone is running after the ball Berg is checking out his cleats and tugging at his shorts and listening to birds in the trees.

I won’t lie – it’s a little embarrassing to hear his coach say, “Bergen, run.  Like you have ants in your pants.”  (Not sure what motivation that actually is.)  And then to watch Bergen not run.  No ants.  No running.

I don’t really mind if he isn’t into soccer.  That’s cool.  But I would like him to be into obedience.

There’s the responsible one – Riley.

How rewarding it is to watch her.  She prepares before each practice, going over her guidelines and planning basic drills for her team.  (London’s on her team this season.)

When she is on the field, she’s all business with her first and second graders – patient but specific, encouraging but challenging.  She’s a good assistant coach.  And that’s really amazing.

I like witnessing her coach and instruct, lead and follow.  (I’m glad she’s my kid.)

Then there’s the fearful one – London.

(Oh, lousy fear – must you follow my child too?  Go away!)

Before each practice, “Mommy, I like my cleats and I want to wear my uniform but I don’t really want to play soccer.”  When asked why, she responds, “I’m not really sure if I will be any good.  I don’t know all the rules.”

When she is on the field she runs, lopes, skips a little and sticks with her teammates, just outside the range of the ball, just steps away from being actually helpful or necessary to the forward momentum of the team.  Just steps away from actually doing anything.

And the only reason she wants to return each time is because of her new friend Lucy.  “She’s hilarious.  She makes funny faces and she makes me laugh.”

O little Lucy friend  – can you teach her to be bold and to kick the ball too?

And finally, there’s the surprise –  Mosely.

She picked out pink soccer socks, which reach all the way to her thighs.  (Everyone else is wearing regulation blue.)  She is the only girl on her team.  And she cannot keep her tongue inside her mouth when she is running.

But guess what?  That girl has some good (and appropriate) soccer aggression on the field.  In her first practice she scored three goals in their little rehearsal scrimmage.  She was all over that ball, kicking and chasing and focused.  So focused. What a surprise!

And the joy?

Oh my, when she scored her goals her face was a picture of pleasure.  Bright, bright brown eyes twinkling, arms in the air and high-fiving her coach and her new best friend Chazz.  (Two things Mosely says about Chazz.  “His name is Tazz,Mommy.”  [it isn’t] and “He can be my friend even though he’s a boy – right?”)

All I know is – we signed up for this season and we paid our dues so we have six more weeks of watching, running, listening to birds, conquering fears, learning obedience and being surprised ahead of us all.

Here we go!