September 27, 2008

As I watched our kids kicking the ball around today, both before the game and getting ready to actually play, I had a sense of calm. They are confident. They know this game. Yes, everyone in 2nd grade has so much to learn, not just about soccer, but about life. But today, they felt the joy of just being able to play the game, not worrying about standing in the right place or doing the right thing. Now, for the most part, they know. It's a great day as a coach, to see players not need to be coached during a game.

First half, Andrew, Noah, Hannah, Faith, Alison and Madison M. were on my team. They were really great.

Madison and Alison both took turns in the goalkeeper position. Alison was brave and successful in the goal. I am so pleased to see you gaining courage and skill. You are our most improved player so far. Keep up the great work.

Madison is so excited to get the ball. "Should I stay here? Should I go there? Should I dive for it or just pick it up? Should I kick it or throw it? Should I....?" I can see her wheels turning, trying so hard to do the right thing. She is astonishing to me. How she can so unafraid? A couple of those boys were tall! She did fantastic.

As the referee, I found myself in the strange position of calling the only personal foul against my own daughter. Do I think she was going for that boys feet and not the ball? No. Did she kick his feet out from under him anyway? Yes. Indirect free kick. I do love how she is unafraid to mix it up. To stick her feet in and see what happens. Sometimes, it's not good. Usually, she's on the right track. I try to be impartial as coach, but I really enjoyed watching my own kid play today. Probably because she reminded me of myself just a little.

Noah, what a superstar you are! You are fast and fearless. Remind me to work on shooting goals from a breakaway position. You must have figured it out in the second half, because word on the street is you had 5 goals!! Five! A hat trick plus two. Just amazing.

Andrew, I heard reports of you constantly today. "That Andrew is a tenacious player!" "What a determined player he is." And I couldn't agree more. I missed the insane foul against you in the second half and it was probably good that I did. I'm a little protective and it wouldn't have gone well. I hope you're okay. Good luck at the Wake boarding National competition this week!! Bring home the trophy (or beach towel, or whatever you are going to win).

Hannah, I think I say this at every practice, but you are the one who just keeps quietly doing it right. You come into a flurry of feet at just the right time to take the ball away. You pass at just the right time. You dribble around a crowd who is all bunched up. You are the most consistent player on our team and that is a great thing. Just keep it up and as you learn more skills to add to your arsenal, you will be unstoppable.

Riley, I wish you had felt better today. We hope you get well soon. Despite being sick, you did a phenomenal job at goalkeeper today. Seriously, you came out at the right time, you brought the ball up to the goal line before dumping it. I just wonder what you could have done if you were feeling better. I guess we'll find out next week. Take it easy and I hope you are better Tuesday.




Annika, our steady eddy, taking the ball, passing, doing it all right. You concentrate so hard on being good out there. I admire and respect your attitude toward this game. You come in with heart and do your best. Don't be afraid to push yourself to the next level of your game. You can do it. You have the skills in your body, just believe it in your mind and you will soar.

Ashton, oh my goodness. I was tired just watching you play today. You were everywhere! Coach Carolyn said you played almost every minute of the first half. I wish I had seen you then too, but watching your second half was a thing of beauty. Of course, you lost the ball a few times, but the amazing part was, you ran back, got behind the other team's breakaway stopped the ball. You had some solid saves. If we were playing 11 vs. 11 you would be my center midfield. You would excel with a bigger field and more players to pass to. I can't wait to watch you grow in this game.

Mia, I LOVE watching you play. I love watching you dribble around the boys on the other team and then, while dribbling, beat them in a footrace to take a shot on goal. You are fast. You are determined. You are a soccer player that will only get better and better the more you play.

Benjamin, you have a knack for having the ball at your feet A LOT! I don't know how you do it, but you seem to be in actual contact with the ball more than most people. You pass, you dribble, you take the ball away. You are the "complete package" soccer player. As you advance in age and skill, you are going to be the guy that people always want on their team. It doesn't hurt that you are so determined.

Madison N. and Logan, we missed you! Hope to see you at practice next week.

Photos to come.

September 23, 2008

To cheer myself after a less than stellar practice, here are our kids, mugging it up.

September 20, 2008

I try to remember that I don't know the kids on the other team. I shouldn't tell them to watch their language and to not play such fussy soccer. It's hard as I want them all to love the game and have a great time. When I see a kid struggling to have a good time, I wonder who has pushed him/her into this. Is Dad hoping to live vicariously though little Tommy? Does Mom wish she'd gone to North Carolina instead of COCC?

Anyway, if you see me talking to our opponents, know that I don't see them as opponents. Right now, they are playmates. Playmates wearing a different color jersey and trying to score on your kids, but playmates nonetheless.

So, the game. Due a snafu at the previous weeks game, I opted to referee our team. I really enjoyed that aspect. I got to run around and watch our kids and call fouls that really should be caught, to advance the learning aspect.

The first half of the game, we were the HOME team, there were several goals against the mighty Rhinos. Little #11 from the other team is a superstar! She dribbled right around everyone and scored. And scored. And scored.

Thank goodness for halftime! I think we had one goal in the first half. We should probably have a statistician, but since we're not currently in line for making any World Cup teams I think we'll survive if I forget who scored what goal at what time. If parents remember, please post in the comments so we can relive the moment.

A mostly forgettable first half led to a completely memorable second half. Goal after goal was scored by our Rhinos. I was starting to feel bad and actually considered (for about half a second) asking the other coach if he wanted one of our players for awhile. That just seemed so offensive, in a non-tactical connotation, that I didn't. Not to mention, we sometimes have issues with remembering which goal is ours anyway.

Mia scored. Noah scored. Andrew scored a few times, I think. Sadly, he sent the opposing team's goalie to the medics at one point, so I called back his goal and gave the other team a goal kick. I know, he probably fell down and twisted his ankle on his own, but it's always a good lesson to stay far away from a goalie who is on the ground with the ball in their gloves. I hope Andrew wasn't terribly hurt by it. I was so proud of him for showing up to play at all after a hard morning, but what a scrappy guy he is! He's the kind of kid you want to live on your block to kill spiders you find on your sidewalk.

I put Noah in the goal for most of the second half. He was obliterating their offense and defense with his breakaway scoring and dribbling through their best attempts to stop him. I think he enjoyed playing goalie.

Mia was so fun to watch. I could see her thinking about passing, and deciding for or against within a split second. She passed and received and was a true all around player in this game. I think she always has been, but to see the decision making skills bloom during a game was something special.

Alison, what can I say? You have gone from only wanting to play goalie to a goal scoring forward in the course of a few short days! You amaze me with a natural gift for knowing where to be and then making something out of it. If you ran more, you'd be in the right place even more often than you are. You impressed the socks off me this past game.

Madison McCarthy, you are so good when you decide to engage. It reminds me of Top Gun, not that you've ever seen that classic. Maverick has re-engaged. When you decide to wrap your mind around the fact that you are currently playing soccer, you are unstoppable. You are brave and ready. Keep up the good work!

Faith you are so eager. I love that you get in there and fight for the ball. I wish you wouldn't against our own team so much, but your heart is good. I love to watch you not even think twice about locking shin guards with a much bigger boy. To see you crash to the ground and get right back up and in the game is inspirational. I wonder what I could have done, had I started as early as you.

We killed them in the second half, after a slow first half. Brian Timm said his team had a great game as well.

Many thanks to our parents and friends who show up so religiously to cheer our kids on. You are the backbone and soul of this team. You are very much appreciated.

September 13, 2008

2nd game. We played the Kangaroos. Good team. Team 1 (my team) got crushed by them. I think they had a 12 year old on their team though...

Ashton was the star of the show on our field. He was everywhere, taking the ball away, running back to play defense, taking shots on goal. I see a career as center midfield down the road for him.

Faith got a goal. Yay! That was fun and with her dad there too. Very nice. We had a couple of other goals, maybe just one, but I don't remember who scored them. Congratulations to those players whoever you are!

Frankly, I lost track of how many goals were against Team 1, but it was plenty.

Ben, Madison, Faith and Logan all took turns in the goal. I guess Ashton did too for awhile, but he's so good in the field and has so much energy that it seemed mean to leave him in the goal for too long.

Annika was extremely brave to play after suffering a bee sting only minutes before kick-off. Well done, Annika. I knew you could do it!

Dads Brian Timm and Andrew Roberts both took turns as referee. Thanks.

Team 2 did great according to Coach Carolyn. She said Riley had 2 goals!! That's so fantastic! She said Andrew was amazing in the goalkeeper position. I will get a full accounting from her soon and update.

So, we did get some pictures. Here they are:

This one might be my favorite. Can you find the ball? Me either.

Faith and Benjamin stopping #10.

Ashton, Madison (goalkeeper) and Logan.

Ashton and Annika trying to move it away from Madison in the goal.

Logan controls the ball while playing goalkeeper.

Ashton taking control from a Kangaroo.

Coach Carolyn helping Noah figure out where to stand while playing goalkeeper.

After the game we're about to have a rousing "Kangaroos" cheer.

"Good job, Kangaroos!"

I don't know what Andrew's doing...

We have absolutely had some ups and downs in our first two games. The "ups" being our players who are out there to have fun and learn the game. We won't go into the "downs" because, honestly, they don't matter. Kids matter. Soccer matters. Seeing our kids try their best every time they put their little cleats on is a joy. Remember it's about the kids.

September 6, 2008

Our first soccer game. All the way across town at Skyline Park, where parking is a zoo and finding the correct fields is a guessing game.

The Rhinos are ready and coaching assistant Andrew Roberts coaches one team while I coach another on a separate field. We are the HOME team and stay put while the VISITOR team switches fields at half-time. This is so we all get to play against everyone on the other team. A neat concept, but slightly confusing for the 2nd grade co-ed soccer first-timers, self included.

Team 1 spanks the Pirahnas, with Mia Morey, Noah Miller and Ashton Oxenrieder all contributing goals. I was so excited at how well our team was doing that I'm not sure who else scored. I think there was another goal. Alison Lachenmyer was a fantastic goalie, despite being accidentally pushed to the ground early on by her overzealous coach. Sorry about that, Alison.

I wasn't able to see anything of Team 2 with coach Roberts, but hear that they played and passed well. The sweaty, happy faces tell the story at the end of the game.

You know, our parents are great. So many are willing to help out and play a role in their children's lives, not just by bringing them to practices and games, but cheering from the sidelines, consoling players with smashed toes and bruised knees. Thank you to all our parents. Your kids are great and we are blessed to know them.

No pictures. Oops.