Soccer Sara

 

 

Sara had a fantastic first soccer season. 

 

We played in the same league that we did with Alex when he was in the same age range.  It’s a group of ten(!) 3 & 4 year olds and they are always looking for volunteer coaches.  I decided that I’ve watched and helped enough and that I could be the coach this year for Sara.  It was a big job and not for the faint of heart, but I was so glad I did it.  Sara loved that I was her coach and we had so much fun together.  Although it was very challenging  for a few main reasons (like 2 sets of sibling boys!), overall I really liked it and would do it again in a heartbeat.  I learned a lot that would help me in future years.  The first year is always the hardest, right?

 

 

 

 

Sara was so excited since she remembers Alex playing soccer last year.  We would play with her on the sidelines and she was so excited to be a “big kid” (my kids are VERY motivated by being “big kids”) playing soccer, just like “Brudder”/Alex. 

 

We got her shin guards and soccer shorts and she was so excited to find out that the shirts were green! They come in all different colors for all the teams and there was a dark green and light green when they handed them out – I said a little prayer – please give me one of the green colors!  And my prayers were answered!  Sara’s favorite color is green and she was so excited!  She also really liked playing with my whistle. 

 

 

 

 

We played all sorts of games and my “goals” for the team were to:

1). have fun

2). make friends

3). learn a tiny bit of soccer

 

In that order.

 

I stole that from Alex’s excellent coach for the last two years.  It works wonders.  If the kids aren’t having fun – do something different. 

 

We played duck, duck, goose (for sheer fun), racing from sideline to sideline (so the kids could start to learn where the infield was), sink your battleship (shooting at a target), dog catcher (slow control over the ball, but then a big kick to make it fun), shooting into the goal (for obvious reasons).  We pretty much did the same thing every Saturday morning, and by the end of the 7 weeks – they really got it!  After the first week I wasn’t so sure this was going to work out!

 

 

Being on the field was hard for me in another way too – I couldn’t take pictures AND coach – so I asked my trusty husband to snap a few.  Thanks honey!  I get to be in some of the pictures too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sara scored some goals and she was SO happy about this!  She would run up to me, beaming with happiness and so proud, and almost knock me over!  There were some big 4 year olds out there, that knew what they were doing, and she did it!  I was so proud of her and it was just so much fun to watch her play.  I enjoyed that part the most.  Just watching her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course, as the season drew to a close, the leaves started falling and that was just so much fun on the sidelines too.

 

 

The league gives out soccer medals to each participant and we did a little awards ceremony after our last game.  They reminded me that for some kids, mine included, this would be the first time they received something like this.  So, make it special and call each kid up one at a time and have everyone cheer to make them all feel special. 

 

Sara was so happy about her medal and I was too.  What a great way to end a great season. 

 

What I’ve learned is that we’ll keep doing soccer as long as she’s having fun.