The Musings of a Soccer Mom

  Sometimes I think we are afraid to cheer for our kids. Then again, maybe my voice is so loud I don't hear others cheering. But I wonder: are parents afraid to cheer these days? There are so many rules regarding sideline behavior we must sign pre-season and sadly, the rules are often necessary. If the kids have discipline issues on the field, it certainly stems from what adults model. 

    I am working to be a little less neurotic on the sidelines. Some Saturdays, I succeed, and others, not so much. I am a serious cheerleader at heart. I am VERY careful with my words and they are always positive, but I do admit I yell and holler for our team. I tell them to "mark up" and "find the ball" and can be intense at times. Just a tad. I sometimes wonder if a parent is going to ask me to, "please use your indoor voice". I played this game for a long time, and it courses through my veins in ways that sometimes surprise me. I remember hating that my mom would yell "Go Kimbo" from the sidelines, but I do an awful lot of whooping and hollering. I'm working on it. I promise. I want him to love the game for a long time. I want it to be fun. I need to step back. Sister reads through most games. I'm not there yet, but maybe I could bite my nails?

    Soccer teaches him hard work, perseverance, team work, and joy.

  Where is the athlete that will aggressively give his all without showing aggression to fellow players? Where is the athlete who pursues excellence, but not at the expense of others?  

   And so another soccer season has ended. We are sad to see it go. Brother played both U9 and U10 this spring. When we signed up there were very few signed up for U9 and so he got slotted U10, but then a U9 team materialized. Juggling the games was a little challenging, but he loved the extra weekly practice times. Who doesn't like kicking a ball around in the afternoon with friends on a sunny spring day? 

    He and I did a little fishing before the game on Saturday, as it was free fishing day in Oregon. We caught five little blue gills and tossed them back in, but we did take home a little trout wisdom. We'll be putting that idea into action soon.  I tied my first Uni knot this past weekend. Go me!

 

Ever so thankful.