I still remember the first year Kali played soccer, she was 5 and in kindergarten. She never complained about going to the games. But she wasn't interested in playing
in the game. Sometimes she would come and find me on the sidelines and not go back to sit with her team so she could go back in. On the last game of the season, it was freezing and she was wrapped up in a coat on the ground. I was freezing too, so I said to her after halftime when she wouldn't even go over by her team, "Come on, let's go, Kali. You aren't even playing, let's get out of the cold." I didn't think she would object since, clearly she was cold and had no desire to play. But she started to whine and said she didn't want to go. When I asked her why she said, "If I go, then I won't get the treat after the game." So for the whole season, I sat through games she wouldn't play in & I could have just gotten her some Twinkies and Capri Suns and saved myself a lot of cold mornings.
So I thought that would probably be the end of Kali's soccer. Until she got asked to play in a start up competition team. She said she wanted to try it and so we thought we'd give soccer another chance. Now 3 years later, she's been playing on the same team and she actually likes to go in the game and she plays hard. She enjoys practicing and they don't even give out treats after the game. The girls she plays with are great girls and she's become great friends with them. We have a carpool in the neighborhood with 5 other girls and it's fun to listen to them chat while we go to and from practices. Tonight I drove and they were talking about shaving arms, how often they showered, if they showered at night or in the morning and if they sweat during practices.
They are a good team too. They are hoping to be Premier in the next couple years. They won the Adidas cup tournament over the summer, their division last year, and they won in futsal last year. This session of futsal they are playing against their other futsal team for 1st place. So either way, their team will come in first and second.
Conner has been loving soccer ever since he first played when he was in 1st grade. He played rec for a few years and then a neighbor started a competition team. Conner had already tried out and made another competition team but we decided it would be a lot more convenient for us if he practiced close. He played on that team for 2 years and then he really wanted to try out for a more advanced team. It was hard for him though because he loved his coach and teammates. It was hard for us too because we enjoyed the team as well. His cousin, Brigham, ended up trying out for the new team as well. They took three new players and Conner and Brigham made it!!
It's been great having them on the same team. We are impressed with the boys he plays with. He has learned and grown a lot this year. They are a premiere level one team- meaning they are with the best premiere teams. They struggled this season with winning games. Their goalie got hurt and was out the whole season. They didn't move down though to the lower premiere level so we'll see how they will do in the Spring with their goalie back. They are also playing indoor soccer and futsal during the winter.
Conner has been showing Sophie some soccer tricks and now she's saying she wants to play in the Spring. Conner asked me if he could coach her team. I told him if dad coached then they could together. She played a couple years ago and liked to make butterflies with her hands and look at the shadows during the game. I've learned from experience though not to rule out soccer for her. So we will see if she is still interested in a few months.
