Soccer and Other Nonsense

Cup 1: If you read my prior post and remember how proud I was that I got the library to admit they were wrong, you will be happy to know that I found the Barbie's 12 Dancing Princesses DVD case in our cupboard with the rest of Morgan's movies. Oops. I waited until a different lady was working the desk to turn it in. I'm a coward.

Cup 2: Could the arctic blast that keeps knocking me over on my walk from the parking garage and causes our radiator to hammer away into all hours of the night go back to the frozen tundra where it belongs? It is almost May, for god's sake.

Cup 3: Are we having our 4th annual Kentucky Derby Party this weekend? Yes. Have we done anything to prepare other than invite people to our house? No.

And here's the actual story:

In addition to triathlons, soccer season is upon us. This is a big deal here. The kids start young. If you are 3 by April 1st you are playing. It's one of the requirements to live in this town. So if you move here and have kids and don't like soccer - get over it.

This is only our second year, because Morgan's birthday is April 6th and they make absolutely no exceptions. Because there are people like my husband that want to get their kids started out of the womb and will bribe the soccer board to get it done. (Kidding, but he did offer to coach if they would have let her in that year.)

Kids are assigned to a certain color team. Morgan is Purple this year. There are so many kids, ere go teams, that last year Morgan was on the Light Blue team. As opposed to the Dark Blue or Aquamarine team. Also last year, in an effort to get some sort of attention from 4-year-olds, the coach tried to let the kids pick an animal for the team to be (a new one every week). The first week, they were the Belugas. Courtesy of guess who?

So our first practice was last Thursday at 6pm, which is pretty much impossible to make, unless I leave work at 4. (I luckily have an understanding boss, right Bill?) Even so...I pulled into the park maybe 3 minutes late due to an unexpected diaper change. All of the kids were already ORGANIZED and running drills. Five-year-olds. I had to admit it was impressive feat for a coach, but I get the impression he has done this before.

Fortunately for me, the assistant coach and her son pulled in right behind me. We get over to the field and the coach calls for them to grab their balls and join the team. Yeah...I'm the late mom that forgot to bring her kid's ball with her. Even when specifically reminded by her husband to make sure the ball was in the car.

An extra ball is produced, which is really better anyway, since Morgan's ball has been left outside one too many times and is faded and scratched up from when Potter decides he wants to play soccer too.

I felt a little better when one of the kids kept bursting into tears every time he got kicked, because his dad forgot his shin guards. See, I take safety as my priority. She can always envision she's kicking a ball, but she will be wearing shin guards, damnit.

Morgan lasted about 5 minutes before the physical exertion caused her to drudge across the field hunched over, practically dragging her knuckles in the grass like a primate. Not a good sign. But she had a good attitude and did try very hard. Bring on game day.

This is a co-ed team of "under-5" kids and they play 4-on-4 with no goalie (and they don't even keep score..really...except we do in our head). And low and behold, something finally clicked with her. After she waved hello to her friend from preschool on the Orange team, that is. She hustled, she kicked, she fell, she got back up, she even stole the ball a couple times. I never once saw the primate drudge.

Where last year, Morgan preferred to hold the coach's hand during the game and run with him (one coach is allowed on the field at all times), this year she was right in there with boys. And yes, I admit I am one of those loud moms. Not in a bad way. I don't yell mean things. I cheer. I cheer for every kid on the team whenever they get the ball.

I think this offends people, and I don't know why. Is it because I take the time to learn all their names? Is it because I dare think that kids need encouragement? Yes, I'm yelling your kid's name, more importantly, why aren't you? I get this tiny little feeling I will be a huge embarrassment to my girls as they get. older, Might as well get it out of the way early.