Soccer Stud

I always look forward to the spring time when the community education flyer comes out.  I grab it quickly from the mailbox and rush it inside to a "safe pile" of papers that won't get thrown away.  This year I took a special moment to sit down with Alex and go through the different classes, camps and sports that they were offering.  He chose wisely and really thought about if the activity would suit him.

He really wanted to do soccer and it worked nicely with our schedule too.  The 4-5 year old soccer session started in August and went through September.  We didn't have much planned for this time frame and I like to space out our activities, so we signed him up.  

We took a special day to go and buy everything he would need.  I was surprised at how much he needed to get for being only 4.  Sigh. We bought cleats, shin guards, socks, and a special sized ball.  He loved the ball.  It was red in color and no one else had the same color. At that age, I would have wanted the same color as everyone else, just so I didn't stick out.  Well, good for my kid.  He is not shy to stand out.  

We got a little confused on which team we were supposed to play with, but ended up on an awesome team with two great coaches! I know nothing about soccer and do not pretend to either.  These two coaches had exercises, drills and skills lined up. They kept the kids moving and they never seemed to be bored.  The soccer days were on Saturday mornings for about an hour and fifteen - thirty minutes.  The first part of the day was practicing and drills with the team and the second part was playing a game against another team.  

Alex is very gross motor.  He enjoys activities that are gross motor and moves with large movements.  Soccer fits him.  He ran all over that field.  He just needs a little bit of direction.  I think during a couple of games, he found himself running the ball into someone's backyard.  Boundaries aren't really his thing.  

He met a lot of wonderful friends and their families were all nice too.  We took turns bringing snacks for after the games.  On some really hot days the kids definitely earned their treats.  The last day was raining and cold.  We stayed only for a few minutes before grabbing the trophy, award and treat to run to the car before the down pour started.  

With the first year of soccer in the books, I think it is safe to say that we all really enjoyed the game.  I look forward to watching him play more in the future.