Soccer Rockers

We have three kids playing soccer this spring.  Anna has played for many years, Grant is on his third season and John on his second season.  John and Grant weren't in the same age group this year so they had to play on different teams.  Anna and Grant's teams practice twice a week so we have five soccer practices each week and three games on the Saturday.  We are now on our last week of soccer for the season (playing since mid-March) and I am ready to be done.

Here is John on black team - 4 and 5 year old co-ed team.  He is always excited when he gets to kick the ball and always disappointed that he didn't score a goal in the games.

Go Johnny!!

Grant loves playing goalie and has made lots of progress this year

He's on the 6-7 year old boys Navy team (Go Navy!)

Here he is getting in the game

Can you spot him?

Anna is making good progress this year and was invited by her former coach to try out for a competitive team for 8 and 9 year olds.  She plays forward a lot and ALMOST scored a goal this season.  She has had a couple great assists.  Her team is doing great this year.  Can you spot Anna in the gold uniform.  She likes playing goalie but has only played goalie during one game this year.  Watching her play goalie gives me anxiety.  I prefer when she's on the field, but she's a great goalie.  I'm so proud of her progress.

Here I am on picture day - the worst soccer day of the year.  The schedule this year worked out so no pictures or games overlapped, which is great, but it took ALL DAY!!  Anna's pictures were at 7:30 followed by her game. Scott would drive over to pick up one kid after their game and drop off the next kid for pictures so the kids didn't have to be there all day.  Sometimes Scott brought me little snacks too.  :)  After Anna's was Grant's pictures and game, then John's pictures and game.  In the middle of John's game (around 2pm) Scott came and swapped out with me so I could take Emma to another park for a birthday party.  It was a long day for me. 7:30 - 4pm soccer and birthday fun.  Glad picture day is over.

Grant loves playing goalie as does Anna.  I hated playing goalie cause I always felt so bad if I got scored on.  But my kids like it.  I don't get it.  Here is Grant warming up to play goalie.

John's team doesn't have a coach so a city recreation worker coaches their team.  I thought about coaching for a while - I know soccer, I know kids but things are kind of crazy for me now and I don't like dealing with the parents that much.  Amazingly I have heard parents say some pretty awful and critical things about the volunteer coaches.  I should really step up and do it though some time.  Because John didn't have a coach they had an unreliable snack schedule.  There were several weeks when they didn't have snacks.  One of the last games three parents brought snacks 'cause they felt bad.  John was super excited to have tons of post game snacks that day.

He even shared his Pringles with Grant.

Here's Anna getting her medal from her coach

Her team did great and had an amazing last game in which they played the toughest team in the league with no subs and tied.  Way to go Solid Gold!!

Grant's team had a great season too.  He had several school buddies on his team

They even got cupcakes on the last day

John got one of the extras - this was on his day of many snacks. 

He thought he was the luckiest boy in the world!

Grant's team - they never had a name and just always cheered "Go Navy!"

John's last day.  Here he is getting a medal from his city recreation coach who worked hard to try and help these little guys.

It was his first medal 'cause we never ended up getting a medal from his other season.  Way to go Black Widows (my idea of "Ninjas" for a team name was swiftly rejected).  I'm glad the season is over.  Is that wrong to say?

Most soccer Saturdays days are not too bad.  Here's John hanging out with me at Anna's game.  

Our season is now officially over!  Welcome summer!!