Say It Ain't So

This soccer year is officially over and it was a good one. I certainly had a good time watching MyGirl and all of her friends play lots of good soccer. I have to admit at the beginning of Fall, I was a bit nervous.

Coach #3 scared me a little bit at first. He’s very direct. If you ask him a question, please make sure that you are ready to hear the answer. At our first team meeting, he laid down his rules. I remember one rule in particular:

‘You are strictly prohibited from having conversations with him if you are upset directly after practice or a game. If you would like to schedule a time to discuss an issue with him, he is happy to do so. You must wait at least three days to allow yourself to calm down so that you can have a rational, adult conversation.’

(Hmmm, I believe three days is exactly the waiting period for a handgun permit, JUST KIDDING – where we live handguns are not allowed in public parks. Teehee.)

Turns out – I ended up really liking Coach #3. And more importantly, so did MyGirl.

The girls worked hard and learned so much so just like we have every other year, we planned an end-of-the-year party. MyPartnerInCrime (MPIC) had it at her house.

(She’s StrikerGirl’s mom and she is HILARIOUS. MPIC is one of the top five things I LOVE about Travel Soccer. Her husband UTDad – is another one of the top five things.)

She is always a great hostess. The weather was PERFECT for a pool party and luckily – MPIC has an awesome pool with an awesome backyard.

Now, since I have appointed myself the Chairman of the Fun Committee, when MPIC suggested we make tie-dye shirts for the girls, I reluctantly agreed. I have made tie-dyed shirts at least 50 times and I am a self-proclaimed Queen of it. (Self-esteem issues? I think not.)

While the weather was perfect for a pool party, it was too dang hot for standing in the hot, hot sun to tie-dye t-shirts. I downed one diet coke and 4 Gatorades by the time it was over and I swear I would still be there right now if another mom hadn’t stepped in to help me. (Thanks!)

Anyway, the girls and their siblings were splashing around and coming out in small groups to dye their shirts while the other mom and I melted in the sun while explaining precisely how to get the perfect swirl. Every now and again, we could hear a loud laugh from the shaded patio where all the other parents were sitting.

The shirt dying was over at exactly the same time that the food was ready. So, the tie-dye station was cleaned up it was finally time for me and the other mom to sit in the shade and laugh. The food was delicious. And everyone had a really good time. Pictures are starting to roll in of the girls in their shirts and they look fabulous. (The girls and the shirts!)

I am going to miss this year. It’s been fun. The girls have been successful: Four tournaments entered…. Four hard-fought Championship games…. Four Finalist medals. And really – that doesn’t even measure their improvement.

Try-outs are in one-and-a-half weeks. I don’t know who MyGirl’s coach is going to be next year or what team she’ll be on. I don’t know what next year is going to be like or who the parents are that I’ll be sitting with on the sidelines. But, whatever happens, it will be fine.

I do have one concern: I have to find another project for next year’s end-of-the-year party. AND – it’s got to be better than Tie Dye!! Suggestions welcome.

Note to self: Don’t start with the good stuff.

Girls vs Boys

When Coach #2 was tricked into taking My Girl’s team (teehee), he never knew what he was getting himself into. I don’t think he knew how much the girls would miss Coach #1 – the faux-hawk, the jokes, the accent. I don’t think he knew how unskilled we were. I really don’t think he knew how much he would like that group of girls.

Now, I’m just going to tell you – those girls are workers. They are strong and they are fighters (sometimes literally – EEK!). They are rough and they are tough and they might not be the best, but they want to be – and “want” goes a long, long way. (Rough and tough go a long way, too – but I’ll save that for another post.)

Anyway – I digress. Coach #2 also coached a group of boys that were one year younger than My Girl's team. Those boys were (and are) fast, skilled and determined. They had Coach #2 for four months longer than we did and they were better than us. I remember the first time I watched one of their games; his players were dropping the ball back to the goalie to switch the field – SEVEN years old. They were organized and had methods to their madness. We were one step above kickball.

Coach #2 wanted to see My Girl’s team play a real game before the first outdoor tournament. He wanted to see if all of the hardworking drills had actually given the girls some real-life, game skills. So we scrimmaged his boys. Needless to say, the girls went home with a loss. But, my guess – some of those boys went home a little bit afraid of what a girl (or a sister) might be capable of.

The next time we scrimmaged, we lost by less and eventually we tied. That’s right – TIED – which if I remember correctly felt like a win to the girls and a loss for the boys. In the two years that My Girl had Coach #2, her team scrimmaged those boys more times than I can count. The girls practiced with them, had pick-up games with them and really got to know them. You probably won’t find bigger fans of that team than the players (and parents) on My Girl’s team – and I would like to think that those boys and their parents are just as big of fans as our team.

As time passed, we got Coach #3 and we didn’t get to see those boys so much anymore. And we definitely didn’t get to play with or against them.

A couple weeks ago, the girls got to scrimmage them again during practice. Some of the girls were so excited. That morning, one of the girls woke up, wiped the sleep out of her eyes and said, “I can’t wait to beat the crap out of those boys tonight.” I know and love that child, and I’ll bet she never says that before she plays “That Blue Team” that is located 30 minutes northeast of our town. Does she want to play “That Blue Team”? ABSOLUTELY!! But for a different reason.

The rivalry between Coach #2’s Boys is one of the most enjoyable things about travel soccer for My Girl. When the girls play them, they have a swagger in their step. They play loose and free and we all get to see them playing soccer at their best. They are all “on” and it seems like everyone is having a good day at the fields.

There are no refs and the score when the whistle blows only matters for bragging rights. Winning doesn’t get the girls any closer to the finals and there is no medal given at the end of the game. My Girl and her teammates know these boys and what they are capable of. And the fact that the girls can compete with them – win, lose or tie – means that the girls know what they are capable of too.

It’s refreshing. It’s fun. It’s progress.