Showing posts with label Must Love Soccer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Must Love Soccer. Show all posts
Weekly Read "Season's End"
"When people discuss youth sports: the time, the energy, the cost, the travel, the injuries and the injustice, it is common to be asked “is it worth it?”
Wekly Read: Who me? R.S.V.P.
... Now, let’s just say you did return from one round to be informed that a few kids had hopped off the wagon back in the woods? I’m asking for a friend because I did not maybe lose two or six kids in the dark of night at one point. Nope. Nothing to see here. Click this link to Read More
Weekly Read: Relax
It is difficult to give parenting advice when you are in the thick of parenting. I fear the jinx, bad karma, or just looking really stupid when things blow up.
Boywonder, however, has reached that age where he is actually 18 and done with some things. In these cases, I feel marginally safer giving advice. I have the benefit of hindsight and knowing how it all turned out ...
Read the rest CLICK HERE TO READ THE COLUMN: Relax
PreGame
There are numerous action shots taken of the Amazing Athletic Weekend the WonderKids had this weekend. Our daughter, 13, was delighted to be invited to take part in the Adidas National Showcase with her middle school team. Our son, an incoming freshman, was thrilled to attend his first tournament with his high school soccer team. To say we are over the moon proud of these kids and the accomplishments following so much hard work is an understatement!
In all the actions shots, the headers, the amazing grace and leaps and speed there are two photos I come back to time and again as my absolute favorites of the weekend. These are the photos that, if I could only have two, I would keep forever.
To me these photos say it all.
Pray to Play ♥
In all the actions shots, the headers, the amazing grace and leaps and speed there are two photos I come back to time and again as my absolute favorites of the weekend. These are the photos that, if I could only have two, I would keep forever.
To me these photos say it all.
Pray to Play ♥
Don't Cry Because It's Over,
Don't Cry Because It's Over, Smile Because It Happened.
(Easier said than done as we complete our magical year plus with the Best Team Ever and our daughter "retires" from the Under 12 League).
BCSC Rapids Players and families - you know who you are and you know we love you, each and every one!
(Easier said than done as we complete our magical year plus with the Best Team Ever and our daughter "retires" from the Under 12 League).
BCSC Rapids Players and families - you know who you are and you know we love you, each and every one!
This is a happy picture but I think it will always make me want to cry.
Will miss seeing these happy faces every week.
May the world always be kind and always bless and know how special these kids are.
Don't you wish your piggy was hot like mine?
Because CLEARLY, everyone needs one of these.
Soccer ball piggy bank = Fifty Cents.
Being able to say I OWN a soccer ball piggy bank = Priceless.
Family Album
Baby’s first Futsal Tournament. It’s just like soccer, although indoors and possibly more violent.
You win some, you lose some, but if you are a poor sport you lose them all.
Saturday we had the pleasure to travel to a nearby league for a recreational soccer game. We lost. I thought I’d get that out of the way right up front. Fortunately, we didn’t have any money on the game and there were no cash or automotive prizes at stake so nobody was too broke up about it. This isn’t some sour grapes post whereby I extract revenge on my arch nemesis – a bunch of 11 year olds.
What did bother me, and what prompted this random musing is that it is getting tougher to advocate for youth sports when I run into kids who are such poor sports themselves.
The game that was going very well except for, you know, the whole losing thing. Saturday was an absolutely GORGEOUS day, the kind of sublimely perfect bridging the gap from summer to fall day that people write poetry about. The fields were well-maintained, my lawn chair was comfy, and they had a good concession stand. Weather. Seating. Snacks. My trifecta of sport spectating perfection had been reached.
Then we got down to the game. They were winning – yay them! I stuck to my usual stance of cheering for BOTH sides, throwing in a “great job keeper!” if THEIR goalie made a memorable play. They are CHILDREN after all. I don’t get too overwrought about it.
Then one of their players shoved my daughter. Hard. Two hands in the back in the classic ‘no double about it oh yes she did” move that instantly had the referee on her whistle. Good call. It happens. I honestly don’t get all worked up about THAT anymore either, which just goes to show how thick my skin has grown. That is until three of the other players openly mocked the referee, patting each other on the back saying "good SHOVE. Nice SHOVE!" dripping sarcasm (where do 11 year olds get sarcasm anyway?) all the while.
Where is the call against unsportsmanship behavior?
Later, when we scored our one and only goal one of the players turned to my DD - the scorer - and said snidely "you know you're still a LOSER right?"
I am not a "my child can do no wrong" parent but please note that the NEXT day my DD played Howland and the ref there (an adult and clearly a pro) complimented BOTH teams on being the politest and among best sports she had ever had the pleasure to referee.
I would like to think that’s because if MY child ever openly mocked a referee during a call, she would be benched so fast, heck she’d be in the CAR on the way home, before she ever knew what hit her.
Apparently, some parents are just all about the score.
And to the ponytailed blond that labeled my daughter, and her team, “losers” based on the score of one game, let me tell you sweetie that behavior lasts long after you leave the field and if there were any true “losers” there that day, they didn’t appear to be on our team.
Here a player offers a hand to the opposing team’s goalie.
Question of the Day: Do we blame pro sports and their trash talkin’, ego-stroking bravado or parents who apparently are unaware or unconcerned with how their children behave on the field?
What did bother me, and what prompted this random musing is that it is getting tougher to advocate for youth sports when I run into kids who are such poor sports themselves.
The game that was going very well except for, you know, the whole losing thing. Saturday was an absolutely GORGEOUS day, the kind of sublimely perfect bridging the gap from summer to fall day that people write poetry about. The fields were well-maintained, my lawn chair was comfy, and they had a good concession stand. Weather. Seating. Snacks. My trifecta of sport spectating perfection had been reached.
Then we got down to the game. They were winning – yay them! I stuck to my usual stance of cheering for BOTH sides, throwing in a “great job keeper!” if THEIR goalie made a memorable play. They are CHILDREN after all. I don’t get too overwrought about it.
Then one of their players shoved my daughter. Hard. Two hands in the back in the classic ‘no double about it oh yes she did” move that instantly had the referee on her whistle. Good call. It happens. I honestly don’t get all worked up about THAT anymore either, which just goes to show how thick my skin has grown. That is until three of the other players openly mocked the referee, patting each other on the back saying "good SHOVE. Nice SHOVE!" dripping sarcasm (where do 11 year olds get sarcasm anyway?) all the while.
Where is the call against unsportsmanship behavior?
Later, when we scored our one and only goal one of the players turned to my DD - the scorer - and said snidely "you know you're still a LOSER right?"
I am not a "my child can do no wrong" parent but please note that the NEXT day my DD played Howland and the ref there (an adult and clearly a pro) complimented BOTH teams on being the politest and among best sports she had ever had the pleasure to referee.
I would like to think that’s because if MY child ever openly mocked a referee during a call, she would be benched so fast, heck she’d be in the CAR on the way home, before she ever knew what hit her.
Apparently, some parents are just all about the score.
And to the ponytailed blond that labeled my daughter, and her team, “losers” based on the score of one game, let me tell you sweetie that behavior lasts long after you leave the field and if there were any true “losers” there that day, they didn’t appear to be on our team.
Here a player offers a hand to the opposing team’s goalie.
Question of the Day: Do we blame pro sports and their trash talkin’, ego-stroking bravado or parents who apparently are unaware or unconcerned with how their children behave on the field?
They would be giants ...
Once there was a little band of thrown-together soccer players who decided to travel to Outer Nowhere Pennsylvania for a soccer tournament. They hadn't played together previously and had only four practices to prepare but they were good players and their hearts were true. Then they arrived to find out that they had been inadvertently scheduled to play giants. Big, hulking men with full facial hair. Big hulking giant competitive cup players who travel the Eastern U.S. to compete and were probably just as puzzled as anyone as to why they were playing eleven year olds. Fortunately, the giants were kind and did not crush the intrepid young team too badly. Thank you giants. Where ever you are.
One minute ...
One minute they are scoring goals for the OTHER team and getting tangled in the nets ~ and the next they are playing like they're getting paid! First game of the 2008 season and our son's team won in a hotly contested 3-2 score. For the record, he scored ALL THREE GOALS. Oh yeah, we were just a teensy bit proud :) If only because after playing myself over the winter I know without a doubt that I could never do that. Period.
It's humbling to realize I could not do what my 'baby' does.
It's humbling to realize I could not do what my 'baby' does.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)