After we returned home from Louisville (slightly) victorious, it was time for our 3rd State League Match. (If you’ll remember, MyGirl was overcome with Crazy Eyes during the first State League match and had to sit out the second.
So she was psyched for this one. The last thing I said to her was, “Don’t eat too much, you don’t play well on a full stomach. AND – don’t punch anyone today! Okay???” I have a bit of a commute to work and the fields we played on for State League were a bit of a commute too, in the other direction. So, All-StarGirl’s mom picked up MyGirl from school and took her to the game.
Hubs and I were going to meet at an Outlet Mall just off the interstate and head north an hour more to the game. Perfect plan – until you factor in traffic. It ended up that Hubs and MyBoy were at the mall waiting for me, when I came upon a car wreck – six miles from where I was to get off the interstate to meet him. It took me 45 minutes to get that six miles. At least Hubs and MyBoy were at a mall and could get some shopping done, I guess.
Anyway, when we finally hooked up, we started driving as fast as our little Nissan could take us. I realized when we were about 30 minutes away and the games was about to start, that we weren’t going to make it there until half time. I text messaged MPIC, SM3, AllStar Girl’s Mom and SisterMarySoccer’s dad: “I’m not going to make it on time. Keep me posted. Should be there by half.” The rest of the conversation went like this.
SisterMarySoccer’s Dad responded instantly, “Is MyGirl with you????”
Me: “No. She caught a ride from AllStarGirl.”
Sister MarySoccer’s Dad: “I have a visual on her. She’s here.” (I did not receive another message from SisterMarySoccer’s dad. I will remember that when he isn’t at a game!)
AllStarGirl’s Mom: “Ok”
SM3, MPIC: “Game on”
2 minutes into the game
AllStarGirl’s Mom: “We look at little slow. The grass is giving them trouble.”
UGGH!!!
AllStarGirl’s Mom: (I don’t remember exactly, but it was a longer, more-detailed version of ‘Cross in, we score.’
1 minute later
SM3: “We score.” 30 seconds later – MPIC sends the same message.
1-0. You would not believe how intense the car ride was… We were trying so hard to get there and you never knew if anytime my phone buzzed it was going to be bad for us, or good for us.
A few minutes later, something crazy looking must have happened because I got these messages:
AllStarGirl’s Mom: “The grass is really thick.”
30 seconds later:
SM3: “Us 1, them 0, Grass 3”
I texted AllStarGirl’s Mom: “How’s MyGirl playing?” She replied, “Good. Very Focused. Intense.”
A bit later, my phone alarms three times. We scored again.
Hubs, MyBoy and I FINALLY pull into the parking lot and I can see the game. We got there in time for me to see about 5 minutes of the first half. As I walked up, I see one of their girls push one of our girl straight off the ball. I yelled, “Hey! That’s a foul!” from about 20 feet away from the sidelines. One of the parents turned around and said, “It’ll get worse, he hasn’t called anything all game.”
We ended up winning 3-0. The second half was a good one. The refs didn’t call much of anything. MyGirl was intense and focused. (No crazy eyes!)
The girls looked like a well-oiled machine. They made some really great passes. And Coach #3 was...satisfied.
State League Record: 3-0! One more win and we are going into the State Tournament as #1 in the East!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
What Were We Thinking???
In mid-April we traveled to Louisville, KY for a soccer tournament. There were five teams in our bracket which in tournament terms has pros and cons. It means you have to play each team in your bracket one time and the team with the most points after playing everyone is the champion. There is no advancement to the semi-finals and no championship game.
The only good thing about it is that you are guaranteed four games no matter how well you do in a tournament.
So, our first game – unbeknownst to us or anyone else - ended up being the championship game.
Game #1 - Unlucky
Oh yeah – the other things about the tournament…It was raining. And muddy. By the time we got to play our first game, four other games had taken place on the field. Needless to say, the center of the fields were one big mud pit. At certain points in the field, the ball would hit a puddle and stop. The ball was wet and muddy too. The girls would run their cleat over the top of the floating ball trying to pull it back, but half the time, their cleats would just scrape a layer of mud off the top of the ball.
The girls worked hard. Just walking through mud baths was hard work and our girls were doing everything they could to lift the ball into the air to get a good cross. And once they did get it in the air, the wind took it. The opponents got a shot off a corner and shot off a penalty kick. Our girls just couldn’t seem to finish. The mud really seem to hurt us. Not an excuse… I know they played in the same conditions. But our girls over ran a lot of balls.
I don’t know what everyone else thinks, but I can’t wait to see the girls play them again. On our fields. On a sunny day. I’m sure the game won’t end 0-2.
Game #2 – Win
The second game of the day, the fields were worse, but the rain and stopped and some of the puddles had soaked in. The mud affected how we played for sure, but the other team really had trouble. I know we would have beat them anyway, but I don’t know if we would have beat them 7-1.
Game #3 – Win
The first game of Sunday was fun – at first. We scored in the first couple of minutes… then the girls scored a lot more… and then some more. The only thing super exciting about it was the Lefty Lucy – our left-footed defender – got a hat trick. It comes with the territory when the coach makes you drop the ball to the defenders every time you gain possession. So good for you Lefty! A hat trick is hard to do during any game!
Game #4 Tie
Well, our opponents were rough. (We like that.) The ground was dried out enough, but because of all the mud the day before we were playing on a big patch of dried up, cratered dirt. It was reminiscent of a soccer field that you would see in a documentary about an African orphanage. Anyway – the fields weren’t the best. The balls were bouncing kind of crazy. It wasn’t’ ideal. The parents on the other team weren’t ideal either. They were RIDICULOUS. One of our girls, I don’t remember which one, collided into another girl. The girl from the other team cried a little – very little. The parents started squawking that our player had “hurt their player on purpose.” On purpose? Are you kidding me?? (See previous posts – if it had been on purpose…. Well…. You know.) Anyway, we tied. We probably should have lost, but we didn’t, we tied and we were finalists… (Ask Lefty Lucy’s about her best defensive play ever during a penalty kick. Way to go again Lefty!)
Game #2.5 – BEST GAME OF THE WEEKEND!!!
If you keep up with the blog, you know that SM3 and I always create a game for the girls to play in the hotel. This time, with the help of MPIC and GoalieGirl’s mom… we topped ourselves – BIG TIME. We watched several episodes of Minute to Win It and we modified the games so that the girls could do it.
We started with stacking cups. It was pretty easy for most of them.
Then we went on to having solo cups that they have to blow off the table with a balloon. It was funny watching the girls blow up the balloons and then using that air to push ten cups off the front of the table.
Some girls had trouble!
Others didn't!
Next up was canned money. We had cans set up with pennies and they had one minute to arrange the eight cans from least to highest amount of pennies. (It was hard!)
Then M&M blow – They had to pick up an M&M with a straw, carry it to another table and drop it in a cup. (Amazingly, some girls really had trouble!)
Then in teams had to move a soda can from one table to another after threading a piece of pasta through the tab with their mouths and having their partner catch the other side of the pasta. HILARIOUS!!
Siblings played against siblings too!!
And for the last game, the girls had to put an Oreo on their foreheads and without using their hands move it down their face into their mouth.
You've got a Minute to Win It - Let's Go!
Winner!!!
WOO HOO!!!
Some people had better luck eating the cookies!
Siblings Compete Again!!
These two chocolate lovers got the cookie EVERY TIME!
It was so fun! Another soccer team was staying in the hotel and they became our studio audience - oohing and ahhing - basically marveling at our complete and utter awesomeness! We even got one of them to “guest play” for us!
The good news: Everyone loved the game! But what on earth were we thinking? How on earth are we going to top that???
The only good thing about it is that you are guaranteed four games no matter how well you do in a tournament.
So, our first game – unbeknownst to us or anyone else - ended up being the championship game.
Game #1 - Unlucky
Oh yeah – the other things about the tournament…It was raining. And muddy. By the time we got to play our first game, four other games had taken place on the field. Needless to say, the center of the fields were one big mud pit. At certain points in the field, the ball would hit a puddle and stop. The ball was wet and muddy too. The girls would run their cleat over the top of the floating ball trying to pull it back, but half the time, their cleats would just scrape a layer of mud off the top of the ball.
The girls worked hard. Just walking through mud baths was hard work and our girls were doing everything they could to lift the ball into the air to get a good cross. And once they did get it in the air, the wind took it. The opponents got a shot off a corner and shot off a penalty kick. Our girls just couldn’t seem to finish. The mud really seem to hurt us. Not an excuse… I know they played in the same conditions. But our girls over ran a lot of balls.
I don’t know what everyone else thinks, but I can’t wait to see the girls play them again. On our fields. On a sunny day. I’m sure the game won’t end 0-2.
Game #2 – Win
The second game of the day, the fields were worse, but the rain and stopped and some of the puddles had soaked in. The mud affected how we played for sure, but the other team really had trouble. I know we would have beat them anyway, but I don’t know if we would have beat them 7-1.
Game #3 – Win
The first game of Sunday was fun – at first. We scored in the first couple of minutes… then the girls scored a lot more… and then some more. The only thing super exciting about it was the Lefty Lucy – our left-footed defender – got a hat trick. It comes with the territory when the coach makes you drop the ball to the defenders every time you gain possession. So good for you Lefty! A hat trick is hard to do during any game!
Game #4 Tie
Well, our opponents were rough. (We like that.) The ground was dried out enough, but because of all the mud the day before we were playing on a big patch of dried up, cratered dirt. It was reminiscent of a soccer field that you would see in a documentary about an African orphanage. Anyway – the fields weren’t the best. The balls were bouncing kind of crazy. It wasn’t’ ideal. The parents on the other team weren’t ideal either. They were RIDICULOUS. One of our girls, I don’t remember which one, collided into another girl. The girl from the other team cried a little – very little. The parents started squawking that our player had “hurt their player on purpose.” On purpose? Are you kidding me?? (See previous posts – if it had been on purpose…. Well…. You know.) Anyway, we tied. We probably should have lost, but we didn’t, we tied and we were finalists… (Ask Lefty Lucy’s about her best defensive play ever during a penalty kick. Way to go again Lefty!)
Game #2.5 – BEST GAME OF THE WEEKEND!!!
If you keep up with the blog, you know that SM3 and I always create a game for the girls to play in the hotel. This time, with the help of MPIC and GoalieGirl’s mom… we topped ourselves – BIG TIME. We watched several episodes of Minute to Win It and we modified the games so that the girls could do it.
We started with stacking cups. It was pretty easy for most of them.
Then we went on to having solo cups that they have to blow off the table with a balloon. It was funny watching the girls blow up the balloons and then using that air to push ten cups off the front of the table.
Some girls had trouble!
Others didn't!
Next up was canned money. We had cans set up with pennies and they had one minute to arrange the eight cans from least to highest amount of pennies. (It was hard!)
Then M&M blow – They had to pick up an M&M with a straw, carry it to another table and drop it in a cup. (Amazingly, some girls really had trouble!)
Then in teams had to move a soda can from one table to another after threading a piece of pasta through the tab with their mouths and having their partner catch the other side of the pasta. HILARIOUS!!
Siblings played against siblings too!!
And for the last game, the girls had to put an Oreo on their foreheads and without using their hands move it down their face into their mouth.
You've got a Minute to Win It - Let's Go!
Winner!!!
WOO HOO!!!
Some people had better luck eating the cookies!
Siblings Compete Again!!
These two chocolate lovers got the cookie EVERY TIME!
It was so fun! Another soccer team was staying in the hotel and they became our studio audience - oohing and ahhing - basically marveling at our complete and utter awesomeness! We even got one of them to “guest play” for us!
The good news: Everyone loved the game! But what on earth were we thinking? How on earth are we going to top that???
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Crazy Eyes Comes Back
After MyGirl played so well in the tournament and took a beat down and some pretty hard hits, we traveled to a far-away, thick-cut, extra-long, extra-wide field with small goals so the girls could play in their first State League match.
They started out pretty strong, getting a goal in the first 5-6 minutes. Beautiful cross on a penalty kick from one my favorite left-footed defenders - LeftyLucy. AllStar Girl one touches to the back of the net.
Two minutes later, MyGirl plays to space, AllStarGirl crosses in, StrikerGirl takes a touch and UNSELFISHLY passes to SisterMarySoccer for goal #2.
With two minutes to go in the half, I saw MyGirl play to space, then I saw her give a girl “the hard shoulder” as she ran past her. (Never, ever a good sign.) But that was it. She played the rest of the two minutes – no problems.
After half time – one of their girls gets a breakaway and KeeperGirl made a phenomenal stop. Unfortunately, it happened again and they score one.
In the mean time, MyGirl got nailed a few times from that one particular girl from the other team. MyGirl did nothing -- for most of the half. With two minutes to go, in the second half the same girl takes MyGirl down. Apparently, she pulled her down by her hair. Apparently, that’s a huge “no-no” from MyGirl’s perspective – something that MyBoy doesn’t even get away with. MyGirl hit the ground and like a cat that didn't land on all four popped back up, flipped that girl over by her hair and punched her three times – three good times. Speed-O-LightGirl claims that she saw a clump on hair on the field.
She took her red card and jogged off the field. They had returned – the dreaded “crazy eyes.” Crazy eyes is a term that MPIC and I coined several years ago for our girls... but I'll be honest, I've seen a glint of crazy eyes in a few other faces. It's a look that takes over the girls' faces when they simply have had enough - when they have reached their breaking point. In all fairness to everyone who has born the brunt of what happens after someone gets crazy eyes - breaking points vary. There is no telling when it is going to happen. Usually, it's a close game. Usually, it's out of desperation. Usually, they have been pushed around plenty. Although sometimes, it could be one comment from an opponent. You just never know when you will get to see "crazy eyes." But, nine times out of ten...it's not a fun thing to watch from the sidelines.
This time was a little different. She didn’t take it out on that girl because she felt desperate. MyGirl had been pushed around plenty, but they were winning. She did it because she was P*$$ED. In the car on the drive home, she was still mad. A little sad, because she let her team down and she had to sit out a in the next state league match - but mostly - she was really, REALLY mad.
BTW - Coach #3 talked to her for a long while after the game and she was really upset about that too. (And boy, Coach #3 can put a guilt trip on someone better than any Catholic mother I have ever met - I like it!)
And now, she’s a little embarrassed by the whole thing. And she should be. It was completely uncalled for.
As for the rest of the game – well, we had to play a man down for two minutes. For all you hockey fans out there….Their team was On. The. Power. Play. But to no avail, KeeperGirl made SEVERAL unbelievable saves. And we won – 2-1.
MyGirl sat out at the next state league game. The girls beat a team they have NEVER, EVER beat before. A team that used to dominate the league. MyGirl was a little tense on the sidelines. But, it was a good day!
SIDEBAR: UTDad’s dad happened to be at the "crazy eyes" game. His take on it was that the girl had it coming to her. He’s a preacher, so I know it’s the truth!
They started out pretty strong, getting a goal in the first 5-6 minutes. Beautiful cross on a penalty kick from one my favorite left-footed defenders - LeftyLucy. AllStar Girl one touches to the back of the net.
Two minutes later, MyGirl plays to space, AllStarGirl crosses in, StrikerGirl takes a touch and UNSELFISHLY passes to SisterMarySoccer for goal #2.
With two minutes to go in the half, I saw MyGirl play to space, then I saw her give a girl “the hard shoulder” as she ran past her. (Never, ever a good sign.) But that was it. She played the rest of the two minutes – no problems.
After half time – one of their girls gets a breakaway and KeeperGirl made a phenomenal stop. Unfortunately, it happened again and they score one.
In the mean time, MyGirl got nailed a few times from that one particular girl from the other team. MyGirl did nothing -- for most of the half. With two minutes to go, in the second half the same girl takes MyGirl down. Apparently, she pulled her down by her hair. Apparently, that’s a huge “no-no” from MyGirl’s perspective – something that MyBoy doesn’t even get away with. MyGirl hit the ground and like a cat that didn't land on all four popped back up, flipped that girl over by her hair and punched her three times – three good times. Speed-O-LightGirl claims that she saw a clump on hair on the field.
She took her red card and jogged off the field. They had returned – the dreaded “crazy eyes.” Crazy eyes is a term that MPIC and I coined several years ago for our girls... but I'll be honest, I've seen a glint of crazy eyes in a few other faces. It's a look that takes over the girls' faces when they simply have had enough - when they have reached their breaking point. In all fairness to everyone who has born the brunt of what happens after someone gets crazy eyes - breaking points vary. There is no telling when it is going to happen. Usually, it's a close game. Usually, it's out of desperation. Usually, they have been pushed around plenty. Although sometimes, it could be one comment from an opponent. You just never know when you will get to see "crazy eyes." But, nine times out of ten...it's not a fun thing to watch from the sidelines.
This time was a little different. She didn’t take it out on that girl because she felt desperate. MyGirl had been pushed around plenty, but they were winning. She did it because she was P*$$ED. In the car on the drive home, she was still mad. A little sad, because she let her team down and she had to sit out a in the next state league match - but mostly - she was really, REALLY mad.
BTW - Coach #3 talked to her for a long while after the game and she was really upset about that too. (And boy, Coach #3 can put a guilt trip on someone better than any Catholic mother I have ever met - I like it!)
And now, she’s a little embarrassed by the whole thing. And she should be. It was completely uncalled for.
As for the rest of the game – well, we had to play a man down for two minutes. For all you hockey fans out there….Their team was On. The. Power. Play. But to no avail, KeeperGirl made SEVERAL unbelievable saves. And we won – 2-1.
MyGirl sat out at the next state league game. The girls beat a team they have NEVER, EVER beat before. A team that used to dominate the league. MyGirl was a little tense on the sidelines. But, it was a good day!
SIDEBAR: UTDad’s dad happened to be at the "crazy eyes" game. His take on it was that the girl had it coming to her. He’s a preacher, so I know it’s the truth!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Winning at Home
Soccer this season has been a true whirlwind. With all of the rain, our practices got canceled so many times I can’t count. I swear, I blinked my eyes and we are half-way finished!
Looking back though, I am smiling at one pick-up game day in particular. A tweet went out about a pick-up game later that afternoon. A few hours later, Hubs and I rolled up to the “other” fields with MyGirl (the ones we play at when our beautiful fields are closed). We had planned to grocery shop, but as soon as MyGirl’s cleat touched the grass, it started to rain. So, we stayed thinking that it would be dispersing very soon.
Not the case – in fact, more people started showing up. And they played for an hour and a half. And they had fun. It’s days like that, that I know MyGirl loves soccer.
The girls have played two tournaments so far this season. The first one was our home tournament. Our team seems to be cursed at our home tournament. When they girls were 9, we made it to the semi-finals and the game ended in a tie. Then overtime, then Penalty Kicks. Freakin’ Penalty Kicks… we lost. Heartbreaking.
The girls at age 10 while the other team takes a PK. (Don't they look little??)
Last year, MyGirl's team eeked by with a couple of wins and two losses and got second in the tournament because a team didn’t want to stay and play in the rain so they forfeited! They would have come in second place – QUITTERS!!
Game #1 – Comeback Kids!
Anyway, this year I was a little ambivalent about the whole tournament. MyGirl's team had to play a game on Friday night which is never fun. The girls played a navy team from about an hour north of us. The girls looked like they had eaten concrete for dinner. They looked slow and their reaction time was delayed. Uggh. We were down 0-2 at half time. When the whistle blew, I looked around at some fellow parents and said, “You think Coach #3 is mad?” Resounding response, “Yes!”
Lawd – I hope that Coach #3 is able to remember that half-time talk, because they came out like a completely different team. (I hope he gives it before we start a game!) The girls had tied it up at five minutes in to the second half. GoalieGirl got a couple of really nice goals quickly and ended the game with a hat trick…. That’s right – a goalie with a hat trick. Take that!!! The girls won 4-2. It was a rough game. MyGirl got plowed over a few times. She got cleated and it was ugly. But she played through – not even a glimpse of “crazy eyes.” StrikerGirl was getting pushed around a bit too. And our center ref – well – he was just getting in the way. It’s hard to dodge balls with both hands in your pocket.
Looking back though, I am smiling at one pick-up game day in particular. A tweet went out about a pick-up game later that afternoon. A few hours later, Hubs and I rolled up to the “other” fields with MyGirl (the ones we play at when our beautiful fields are closed). We had planned to grocery shop, but as soon as MyGirl’s cleat touched the grass, it started to rain. So, we stayed thinking that it would be dispersing very soon.
Not the case – in fact, more people started showing up. And they played for an hour and a half. And they had fun. It’s days like that, that I know MyGirl loves soccer.
The girls have played two tournaments so far this season. The first one was our home tournament. Our team seems to be cursed at our home tournament. When they girls were 9, we made it to the semi-finals and the game ended in a tie. Then overtime, then Penalty Kicks. Freakin’ Penalty Kicks… we lost. Heartbreaking.
The girls at age 10 while the other team takes a PK. (Don't they look little??)Last year, MyGirl's team eeked by with a couple of wins and two losses and got second in the tournament because a team didn’t want to stay and play in the rain so they forfeited! They would have come in second place – QUITTERS!!
Game #1 – Comeback Kids!
Anyway, this year I was a little ambivalent about the whole tournament. MyGirl's team had to play a game on Friday night which is never fun. The girls played a navy team from about an hour north of us. The girls looked like they had eaten concrete for dinner. They looked slow and their reaction time was delayed. Uggh. We were down 0-2 at half time. When the whistle blew, I looked around at some fellow parents and said, “You think Coach #3 is mad?” Resounding response, “Yes!”
Lawd – I hope that Coach #3 is able to remember that half-time talk, because they came out like a completely different team. (I hope he gives it before we start a game!) The girls had tied it up at five minutes in to the second half. GoalieGirl got a couple of really nice goals quickly and ended the game with a hat trick…. That’s right – a goalie with a hat trick. Take that!!! The girls won 4-2. It was a rough game. MyGirl got plowed over a few times. She got cleated and it was ugly. But she played through – not even a glimpse of “crazy eyes.” StrikerGirl was getting pushed around a bit too. And our center ref – well – he was just getting in the way. It’s hard to dodge balls with both hands in your pocket.
MyGirl's leg after being cleated. The bruising got worse and it ended up looking much uglier. No tears though...
Game #2 – You Say You Want a Revolution?
Saturday morning’s first game was against a team that we have repeatedly played and repeatedly controlled the ball on the field and were repeatedly unable to beat – with the exception of the Mother’s Day tournament last year, when they creamed us.
Well everyone – It’s a brand new day. The girls rocked it out of the park. MyGirl and her team fought for every ball. They dominated. That win was so awesome. It was the perfect ending to a coming-of-age novel – but the day wasn’t over.
Game #3 – They Regress
Uggh. Tie game, 1-1 against the “B” team of the club we lost to in PK’s two years before – I don’t have anything else to say about that. I think I put it out of my mind before my camping chair was folded up.
Game #4 – DOMINATION
I mean seriously, the girls had this game from the whistle blow. They played against the girl who cries at every game. (She cried – and MyGirl had nothing to do with it. Pinky Swear.) They were in it to win it and they did. No PK’s needed.
Champions
Game #3 – They Regress
Uggh. Tie game, 1-1 against the “B” team of the club we lost to in PK’s two years before – I don’t have anything else to say about that. I think I put it out of my mind before my camping chair was folded up.
Game #4 – DOMINATION
I mean seriously, the girls had this game from the whistle blow. They played against the girl who cries at every game. (She cried – and MyGirl had nothing to do with it. Pinky Swear.) They were in it to win it and they did. No PK’s needed.
Champions
My goal is to get caught up on the blogging soon. I can’t wait to tell you about the hotel game from Louisville.
Last year, we eeked by with a couple of wins and got second in the tournament was because a team didn’t want to stay and play in the rain so they forfeited! They would have come in second place – QUITTERS!!
Game #1 – Comeback Kids!
Anyway, this year I was a little ambivalent about the whole tournament. We had to play a game on Friday night which is never fun. We played a navy team from about an hour north of us. The girls looked like they had eaten concrete for dinner. They looked slow and their reaction time was delayed. Uggh. We were down 0-2 at half time. When the whistle blew, I looked around at some fellow parents and said, “You think Coach #3 is mad?” Resounding response, “Yes!”
Lawd – I hope that Coach #3 is able to remember that half-time talk, because they came out like a completely different team. The girls had tied it up at five minutes in to the second half. GoalieGirl got a couple of really nice goals quickly and ended the game with a hat trick…. That’s right – a goalie with a hat trick. Take that. The girls won 4-2. It was a rough game. MyGirl got plowed over a few times. She got cleated straight and it ugly. But she played through – not even a glimpse of “crazy eye.” StrikerGirl was getting pushed around a bit too. And our center ref – well – he was just getting in the way. It’s hard to dodge balls with both hands in your pocket.
Game #2 – You Say You Want a Revolution?
Saturday morning’s first game was against a team that we have repeatedly played and repeatedly controlled the ball on the field but were unable to beat them – with the exception of the Mother’s Day tournament last year, when they creamed us. Well everyone – It’s a brand new day. The girls rocked it out of the park. MyGirl and her team fought for every ball. They dominated. That win was so awesome. It was the perfect ending to a coming-of-age novel – but the day wasn’t over.
Game #3 – They Regress
Uggh. Tie game, 1-1 against the “B” team of the team team we lost to in PK’s two years before – I don’t have anything else to say about that. I think I put it out of my mind before my camping chair was folded up.
Game #4 – DOMINATION
I mean seriously, the girls had this game from the whistle blow. They played against the girl who cries at every game. (She cried – and MyGirl had nothing to do with it. Pinky Swear.) They were in it to win it and they did. No PK’s needed.
Champions
My goal is to get caught up on the blogging soon. I can’t wait to tell you about the hotel game from Louisville.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
I am “We” and “We” Are All Together
So, our club is hosting a MAJOR soccer tournament this summer. It’s a HUGE tournament – four thousand kids are coming to our town to play at our fields. We have tournaments all the time. But, I would say the tournaments are local, with a team or two from each age group showing up from another state.
The tournament scene is old hat. Each team does the same job every Fall and every Spring. And the people that run the tournaments are the same people every time. They are the “they” that people commonly refer to when discussing the upcoming changes in our small-town, soccer lives that generally are not discussed, presented or even emailed out to the group.
You know how it goes, “They” said that we were not going to be able to do that this year. “They” said that “they” were picking the coaches for our team and that “they” would tell us how much we are going to pay them.”
“They” have generally become my enemies – well, not enemies – more like antagonists. Everything “they” do pretty much ticks me off. Why? Because generally, “they” are the decision makers – who don’t take “us” (MyGirl, her teammates and their parents) into consideration – AT ALL – EVER.
In my opinion, “they” don’t handle things well. “They” decide, but don’t communicate. Or listen. Or respond.
A couple of years ago, when “they” were making some changes, I wasn’t real happy. I sent emails asking questions that no one responded to. I left messages and no one called me back. So, since our club is a non-profit organization, I decided to request the one thing that according to the IRS “they” have to give me – their financials. (Still don’t have them.) I requested a copy of their by-laws. (Don’t have those either.)
So, in general, I became a big, fat Pain in Their Arses. I feel sure that collectively, “they” hate me. But finally, “their” dream came true and I gave up. I threw in the towel and realized that "they" will eventually get "theirs" - or "they" won't.
Just in case you don’t know it, I tend to be a bit of organizer. I am a Type “A-minus” personality. So, when planning something, like say - a BIG tournament, I am a good person to have on your team. And somehow – I am on this tournament committee. (I know exactly how I ended up on the committee – I like to punish myself and I volunteered. But, in my defense, part of me thought "they" would say, “No thanks, we’re covered. And by the way, we hate you.”)
So last night, I went to the first meeting about the BIG tournament. Talk about awkward greetings and salutations. It was almost comical. "They" do hate me. But, they like that one of the committee slots is filled. (Just wait until "they"see what I can do with an Excel spreadsheet.)
So for the next six months, “they” will try to be nice to me and I will try to believe that “they” are not complete YAHOOs. (Try is the keyword in that sentence.)
The tournament scene is old hat. Each team does the same job every Fall and every Spring. And the people that run the tournaments are the same people every time. They are the “they” that people commonly refer to when discussing the upcoming changes in our small-town, soccer lives that generally are not discussed, presented or even emailed out to the group.
You know how it goes, “They” said that we were not going to be able to do that this year. “They” said that “they” were picking the coaches for our team and that “they” would tell us how much we are going to pay them.”
“They” have generally become my enemies – well, not enemies – more like antagonists. Everything “they” do pretty much ticks me off. Why? Because generally, “they” are the decision makers – who don’t take “us” (MyGirl, her teammates and their parents) into consideration – AT ALL – EVER.
In my opinion, “they” don’t handle things well. “They” decide, but don’t communicate. Or listen. Or respond.
A couple of years ago, when “they” were making some changes, I wasn’t real happy. I sent emails asking questions that no one responded to. I left messages and no one called me back. So, since our club is a non-profit organization, I decided to request the one thing that according to the IRS “they” have to give me – their financials. (Still don’t have them.) I requested a copy of their by-laws. (Don’t have those either.)
So, in general, I became a big, fat Pain in Their Arses. I feel sure that collectively, “they” hate me. But finally, “their” dream came true and I gave up. I threw in the towel and realized that "they" will eventually get "theirs" - or "they" won't.
Just in case you don’t know it, I tend to be a bit of organizer. I am a Type “A-minus” personality. So, when planning something, like say - a BIG tournament, I am a good person to have on your team. And somehow – I am on this tournament committee. (I know exactly how I ended up on the committee – I like to punish myself and I volunteered. But, in my defense, part of me thought "they" would say, “No thanks, we’re covered. And by the way, we hate you.”)
So last night, I went to the first meeting about the BIG tournament. Talk about awkward greetings and salutations. It was almost comical. "They" do hate me. But, they like that one of the committee slots is filled. (Just wait until "they"see what I can do with an Excel spreadsheet.)
So for the next six months, “they” will try to be nice to me and I will try to believe that “they” are not complete YAHOOs. (Try is the keyword in that sentence.)
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Random Email
So, I got a random email from friend yesterday saying that she liked the blog. “Very sweet,” I thought.
On my drive home from work, I started thinking about her and how I got to know her family. I actually met her oldest daughter first. She plays travel soccer for the age group one year ahead of MyGirl’s. I met her for the first time when she enrolled her oldest in the speed and agility class I had orchestrated during the winter a year or two ago.
In the fall of this year, her oldest daughter, a goalie, was playing for her middle school team. She got kicked in the head. I wasn’t there, but from what I have heard, it was a pretty serious blow. I can’t remember if she lost consciousness or not. But, the daughter ended up with a concussion.
Growing up, I always thought of a concussion as nothing really. Everyone I ever knew that had one was fine. They just didn’t “feel like themselves” for a few days. It seemed like such a trivial injury.
But, years in healthcare have taught me differently. In medical records, concussions are sometimes recorded as Mild TBI’s. TBI = Traumatic Brain Injury. That sounds worse, right? How about, closed head injury? How does that sound?? To me – much worse than “concussion.”
They are serious business. Serious. Business.
Seeking rehabilitation is crucial from the very beginning if a concussion is suspected. And sometimes, that is harder than you would think. If you doubt me, just ask my friend. After her daughter was diagnosed with a concussion, she followed up with a pediatric neurologist as directed by the ER doc. As I understand it, the neurologist did a few tests, but none that could actually measure improvement so that my friend would know if her daughter was getting better.
She followed the directions of the neurologist, but realized after 7-8 weeks post-accident that her daughter was not improving. Her daughter was still having headaches on a daily basis and was struggling in school. So, she sought a different kind of care and started looking for a pediatric neurologist that specialized in concussion management. She finally found one and now her daughter is on brain rest and has been for several weeks. Her daughter cannot go to school or even be in areas with lots of noise or with bright lights. Read: She can’t leave the house.
After she is released from brain rest, she will begin concussion therapy. She will have to do therapeutic exercises that will re-train her brain to perform as it did before the injury occurred.
Athletes that play contact sports, like soccer, are at the greatest risk of getting concussions. So, be aware of signs and symptoms.
If your child is diagnosed with a concussion, make sure that you see a physician that specializes in concussion management. (Look for a physician that provides ImPACT testing.)
Take the time off that is recommended. Sustaining a second brain injury before symptoms of the first brain injury has been known to cause severe, irreversible damage.
It’s better to sit out a game than a season. And it’s better to sit out a season than a lifetime.
On my drive home from work, I started thinking about her and how I got to know her family. I actually met her oldest daughter first. She plays travel soccer for the age group one year ahead of MyGirl’s. I met her for the first time when she enrolled her oldest in the speed and agility class I had orchestrated during the winter a year or two ago.
In the fall of this year, her oldest daughter, a goalie, was playing for her middle school team. She got kicked in the head. I wasn’t there, but from what I have heard, it was a pretty serious blow. I can’t remember if she lost consciousness or not. But, the daughter ended up with a concussion.
Growing up, I always thought of a concussion as nothing really. Everyone I ever knew that had one was fine. They just didn’t “feel like themselves” for a few days. It seemed like such a trivial injury.
But, years in healthcare have taught me differently. In medical records, concussions are sometimes recorded as Mild TBI’s. TBI = Traumatic Brain Injury. That sounds worse, right? How about, closed head injury? How does that sound?? To me – much worse than “concussion.”
They are serious business. Serious. Business.
Seeking rehabilitation is crucial from the very beginning if a concussion is suspected. And sometimes, that is harder than you would think. If you doubt me, just ask my friend. After her daughter was diagnosed with a concussion, she followed up with a pediatric neurologist as directed by the ER doc. As I understand it, the neurologist did a few tests, but none that could actually measure improvement so that my friend would know if her daughter was getting better.
She followed the directions of the neurologist, but realized after 7-8 weeks post-accident that her daughter was not improving. Her daughter was still having headaches on a daily basis and was struggling in school. So, she sought a different kind of care and started looking for a pediatric neurologist that specialized in concussion management. She finally found one and now her daughter is on brain rest and has been for several weeks. Her daughter cannot go to school or even be in areas with lots of noise or with bright lights. Read: She can’t leave the house.
After she is released from brain rest, she will begin concussion therapy. She will have to do therapeutic exercises that will re-train her brain to perform as it did before the injury occurred.
Athletes that play contact sports, like soccer, are at the greatest risk of getting concussions. So, be aware of signs and symptoms.
If your child is diagnosed with a concussion, make sure that you see a physician that specializes in concussion management. (Look for a physician that provides ImPACT testing.)
Take the time off that is recommended. Sustaining a second brain injury before symptoms of the first brain injury has been known to cause severe, irreversible damage.
It’s better to sit out a game than a season. And it’s better to sit out a season than a lifetime.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Answer: They Play Soccer
Question: What happens to the little girls that tear the heads off Barbie dolls?
So, at the ripe old age of 11, MyGirl has successfully secured her first red card. And guess what, they’re not easy to get. Leave it to her to be an overachiever.
I swear, I couldn’t believe it. She wasn’t so upset with the red card. She was much more upset that she had to sit out a game in a tournament. It was kind of…sad.
It was the second game of the tournament. We were playing a team from Arkansas. (Yeah, I know…) They were a physical team, no big deal, we can handle that. They had two Amazon Girls that were about 5 foot 8 (no exaggeration). These girls were supposed to be 11 or 12 years old, but I swear I saw one of them driving out of the parking lot when we left. (Okay, a little exaggeration there.) In the first half, one of the Amazon Girls from Arkansas roughs up our goalie on a corner kick and they score. They scored again in the next 2 minutes. And just like that, our team is down 0-2.
A few minutes later, StrikerGirl gets a warning from the ref about pushing. And a few minutes after that, MyGirl gets a yellow card for it. After the game I found out that the ref said, “Didn’t I just tell you not to push like that?” MyGirl said, “No. You told her.” Yellow Card. At this point, she tops the leader board with yellow cards after being tied with StrikerGirl for almost a whole season.
After half-time, they score again. GAG! With about 3 minutes to go in the game, MyGirl pushes a girl. It started as both girls leaning on each other neutrally to gain control of the ball, but after a few steps, you could see there was nothing neutral about it. Ref blows the whistle and MyGirl sweeps the girls legs, the girl falls backwards and lands on the soccer ball. Red Card. She says she didn’t hear the whistle blow. (Umm, yeah, I believe her.) Luckily, the girl she “tripped” rolled around on the ground for about 2 minutes so the team only had to play a man down for a minute.
MyGirl is a sweet girl. She really is. When I tell people that she is a menace on the soccer field, they don’t believe me. She plays basketball for her school this year and she’s the same way on the basketball court. She pushed a girl down this year and they weren’t even close to the ball when it happened. A teacher from her school told me last week that she is impressed with how tough she is on the court.
The teacher added: “Sometimes it looks like she might even push those girls on purpose.”
Me: “Umm, yeah, I think she does.”
Teacher: “No!! She would never do that! Every time we see her, we call her ‘Sunshine’!”
Me (thinking): “Well, I bet none of her opponents at any sport (except bowling) would call her that.”
So, just know, she’s not mean – all the time. She is a nice girl. (That’s what I keep telling myself.)
Here’s what else I have found out…Red cards get mixed reviews. Some people were giving her high fives. Some people look at her like she’s a monster, then they find their children and walk away. (Exaggeration – kind of.)
Clarification here –We didn’t condone the behavior. We talked to her about stopping after the whistle blows and about hurting other people – on purpose. And then we bought her some red flare for her bag to remember her first one. Also in general, the people that give her high fives are my kind of people.
(SIDEBAR: StrikerGirl and MyGirl both play on the same basketball team. And while MyGirl may lead in Yellows and Reds in soccer – I should point out that StrikerGirl leads in Technical Fouls.)
So, at the ripe old age of 11, MyGirl has successfully secured her first red card. And guess what, they’re not easy to get. Leave it to her to be an overachiever.
I swear, I couldn’t believe it. She wasn’t so upset with the red card. She was much more upset that she had to sit out a game in a tournament. It was kind of…sad.
It was the second game of the tournament. We were playing a team from Arkansas. (Yeah, I know…) They were a physical team, no big deal, we can handle that. They had two Amazon Girls that were about 5 foot 8 (no exaggeration). These girls were supposed to be 11 or 12 years old, but I swear I saw one of them driving out of the parking lot when we left. (Okay, a little exaggeration there.) In the first half, one of the Amazon Girls from Arkansas roughs up our goalie on a corner kick and they score. They scored again in the next 2 minutes. And just like that, our team is down 0-2.
A few minutes later, StrikerGirl gets a warning from the ref about pushing. And a few minutes after that, MyGirl gets a yellow card for it. After the game I found out that the ref said, “Didn’t I just tell you not to push like that?” MyGirl said, “No. You told her.” Yellow Card. At this point, she tops the leader board with yellow cards after being tied with StrikerGirl for almost a whole season.
After half-time, they score again. GAG! With about 3 minutes to go in the game, MyGirl pushes a girl. It started as both girls leaning on each other neutrally to gain control of the ball, but after a few steps, you could see there was nothing neutral about it. Ref blows the whistle and MyGirl sweeps the girls legs, the girl falls backwards and lands on the soccer ball. Red Card. She says she didn’t hear the whistle blow. (Umm, yeah, I believe her.) Luckily, the girl she “tripped” rolled around on the ground for about 2 minutes so the team only had to play a man down for a minute.
MyGirl is a sweet girl. She really is. When I tell people that she is a menace on the soccer field, they don’t believe me. She plays basketball for her school this year and she’s the same way on the basketball court. She pushed a girl down this year and they weren’t even close to the ball when it happened. A teacher from her school told me last week that she is impressed with how tough she is on the court.
The teacher added: “Sometimes it looks like she might even push those girls on purpose.”
Me: “Umm, yeah, I think she does.”
Teacher: “No!! She would never do that! Every time we see her, we call her ‘Sunshine’!”
Me (thinking): “Well, I bet none of her opponents at any sport (except bowling) would call her that.”
So, just know, she’s not mean – all the time. She is a nice girl. (That’s what I keep telling myself.)
Here’s what else I have found out…Red cards get mixed reviews. Some people were giving her high fives. Some people look at her like she’s a monster, then they find their children and walk away. (Exaggeration – kind of.)
Clarification here –We didn’t condone the behavior. We talked to her about stopping after the whistle blows and about hurting other people – on purpose. And then we bought her some red flare for her bag to remember her first one. Also in general, the people that give her high fives are my kind of people.
(SIDEBAR: StrikerGirl and MyGirl both play on the same basketball team. And while MyGirl may lead in Yellows and Reds in soccer – I should point out that StrikerGirl leads in Technical Fouls.)
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