Soccer Mom Strikes Again

It's soccer season again. I love soccer season. I love watching my kids run up and down the field, getting all sweaty, gasping for water or a breath, with big smiles on their faces. I love watching them use their physical prowess to gain access to the ball and of course a goal or two is nice as well.

I am a soccer mom. I have no shame in that. In fact I take great pride in it.

Nichols Family Soccer History:

2006: Mack's team rocked the planet. He was all over the field, dominating the ball, and making goals. He was a bit of a ball hog, but everyone knew if they wanted the team to win, get the ball to Mack.

2006: Sav's team: Completely uninspiring. Sav would run up to the ball with all kinds of energy and then all of a sudden come to a screeching halt just before she reached the ball. No kicks, no goals. Sad.

2007: Mack's team: Less than inspirational. Lots of kids, still too small to play positions so it was still like watching a kid magnet roll around the field, attracting every player within a 30 foot radius.

2007: Sav's team. So stinkin' sweet. Sav rocked. She wasn't a big scorer, but she was IN THERE. She would rush the ball, take it away, she was a great forward and a great defender, often assisting in getting the goals. Her coach would tell everyone how great she was. I LOVED watching her games.

2008: Mack's team: 16 players. Last night there were 17. Okay. That means 6 are sitting on the sidelines while the others are still so fascinated with the soccer magnet that getting them to play positions is difficult. He is still having tons of fun, so still fun to watch.

2008: Sav's team: What happened? Last year's coach told our friend who is coaching her age group this year that if he got ANYONE on the league this year, it needed to be Sav. I watched last night as she got too tired, wouldn't rush the ball, and when she got near the goal she hesitated too long and the other team rushed her and would get the ball back.

COME ON GIRL! Get your stuff together. I want the girl from last year back. I know you have it in you. Go, go, go! I am not entirely sure where the kids get their physical prowess. It must come from their dad, because it wasn't from me (see side note story below). So, I owe a great big thanks to H for giving me children who for the most part ROCK at soccer, who bring me at least 4 to 5 weeks of sheer joy in the fall.

Side Note: The other night at a friend's BBQ another woman who was invited pulled out her adult trike. If you don't know what that is, this is a plaything thatlooks like a scooter but has two places for feet, one for each foot, so essentially a jacked up scooter. I have been there when she has pulled this out before and insisted on NOT riding it. The other night, everyone was trying to get me to ride it again. I refused. I know what happens when I do physical stuff. Finally, when I felt no one was watching, I decided to try it out. You get on and really have to work your body in a weird way to get the thing to move, swaying back and forth INTO the force, its odd. So I hop on and try to ride. After a minute I decide to go UP a tiny little driveway curb so that I can take the trike to the top and use some of the momentum to help me learn how to ride this beast. Well, I approach the tiny, itsy, bitsy bump and SLAM into it. I proceed to topple over, landing on my right knee and using my arms to keep my face from slamming into the sidewalk, coming within 2 inches of doing major damage to my moneymaker(that would be my face). Ouch. I get up, look around, and sure enough no one saw. But dang, at that point a little sympathy would have been nice. But this little story is exactly why I am hesitant to EVER try something new physically.