Soccer, futbol...it's all Greek to me!

Diana and Amy were introduced to soccer over the summer. I was a little worried about this for Diana because by this time, most kids her age have been playing for several years and any activity we put her that involves sports will involve a game-like setting. I was worried that she would be overwhelmed, not know the rules and get frustrated. We decided to put her in Just 4 Kicks, which she did when she first start playing soccer when she was 3. (That experience didn't go well and she didn't play soccer again until this past summer). To my surprise, Diana enjoyed her summer soccer experience. She was forced to get in shape really fast and learned that soccer isn't like t-ball(which she was also playing this summer) - you are constantly moving in soccer.

We had a decision to make come fall - soccer or theatre. Rehearsal for theatre was on the same days and times as soccer. We knew we wanted her to get exercise and keep playing sports, but wanted her to be able to decide too. Since she wasn't too familiar with the play her theatre company was doing, it was an easy choice for her to make. So, we signed her up for soccer again. This time around it's an eight-week session with games on Tuesdays and clinics on Saturdays. We liked the fact that they do a clinic on Saturday because it not only gives her another day of exercise, but it gives her more skill work as well. She's improved tremendously over the past three weeks since the fall league started. When she's not tired, she's a lot more aggressive than we thought she would be. She knows how to create space with her elbows and does a good job of trying to steal the ball from opponents. Her favorite is playing goal right now - her hand shoots up when the coach asks who wants to play in the goal. I didn't say she was great at it...though when she's paying attention, she does fine. There are some kids out there right now that should be playing in the MLS, it's amazing. These kids are 8 and they do drop kicks and make it into the goal. They kick the ball harder than I ever could. It's almost unfair. We decided it was time to put Amy in soccer when we saw her kicking the ball easily and gracefully in the open field while running. She didn't fall, she didn't trip and she kicked it quite a distance without stopping. It was impressive. She quickly fell in love with her soccer ball and she always had it with her when we went to Diana's t-ball games. Her class is an introductory soccer class so she only plays a little "real soccer" as she calls it toward the end of the 30-minute session. She's got a smile on her face the whole time though. During Diana's Saturday clinic, she keeps playing on one of the fields that's not being used.

As for Matt and me, we have no idea what's going on out there. I just sit silently in my folding chair, clap every now and then and give Diana a thumbs up when she looks over at me. Every now and then I will tell her to "go get the ball" just so the other parents realize that I am, in fact, paying attention. We have no clue about soccer, can't figure out how these professional-looking eight-year-olds snuck into Diana's class and hope that someone can give Diana some tips because she's not going to get them from us. And she doesn't want to get them from us really. It's not going to help her. As long as the girls are getting exercise, smiling and enjoying themselves, they can play whatever sport they want. And I will continue to take pictures.