Soccer Fall 2012

Cute little soccer team: Ike, Brock, Tatum, Aiden, C, and Brinlee

Ike and Coach Ladd

 Both boys played soccer this fall. Ike was on his first REAL team with goals and coaches and trophies and winners and losers... everything. I really was a true blue soccer mom for the first, and surely  not the last, time:) Ike struggled a little. He is a really sporty boy. Athleticism comes easy to him and soccer was no different. He is pretty coordinated (in spite of who his mother is...) and a good sportsman too. He loved his teammates (many we knew from previous preschool years and from church) and we met a few new kiddos too. He LOVED practice. We discovered though, that Ike gets really nervous about LOSING. He does not like the thought that his team could lose (they only lost twice all season, but still...) He is not into failure at all. It actually even caused a little anxiety thinking about potentially losing. Poor guy lost some sleep over the ordeal. BUT, in the end, he scored his first goal, he was an excellent defensive player all year, and has a few new buddies and new skills to add to his young resume. This may be wrong, but I think it has been good for him to struggle a little. I am trying to not be super competitive, but I do appreciate what sports have been able to teach him thus far. He is learning to be a team player. He's learning that we win and lose, but we always try our best; that sometimes in spite of giving our best effort, someone else wins. He has learned that he has a contribution to make and that his team depends on him, as he does them. He is learning to listen to a coach who has expectations for him and knows him. Yeah, we're sold. Looks like Ike will be playing again in the spring:)

    Zach did soccer tots again this fall. He goes for 1 hour every Saturday morning to learn soccer skills with mom/dad. It has been a stretch for him too. He has learned some new skills and is getting to be a pretty good little ball handler. He loves doing everything his big brother does, so for him, it's a win win. I somehow misplaced the shots I had of his soccer time, but again, he'll be playing in the spring. I LOVE Arizona sept-may. LOVE being outside and LOVE introducing my kids to the wonderful world of sports:)