Soccer Soccer Soccer

Aubrey has started soccer for the first time ever. Chad is the coach. He got suckered in by the plea, "we're only missing ONE soccer coach." When the other parents found out he had experience coaching junior high football and basketball, they were pleased and told me that this would be a breeze for him. Chad is not so sure.

Their first practice was uneventful. Perhaps the most noteworthy thing that happened there was the choosing of a team name. Aubrey had two ideas for a team name. The first one, which was a "really good name," was Rainbows. With some forethought, Aubrey had wisely made a contingency plan in case the boys did not like that one. Her second team name idea, was Lightning. Regretfully, she didn't even get to have her say in the choosing. I'm really not sure by what misfortune Aubrey's team name was chosen, actually. But I announce, with chagrin, that they are.... The Screaming Gophers. (Yes, you read right...The Screaming Gophers. The Screaming Gophers. I know, you are as baffled as I am. What?!?!? I don't know. There are seven-year-old boys on her team, is all I can say.)

It was on Saturday before the pre-first-game-parade, when I saw the name of the team we were playing against, that the team name became even more funny. It was the Screaming Gophers against the Speedy Cougars. I thought for sure this was an unfair food chain match up. (ie, as in the animal kingdom, when the Gophers are screaming and running for cover as the Speedy Cougars seize and devour their unsuspecting prey.) Why couldn't we play the Yawning Prairie Dogs or Jumping Chipmunks and leave those Speedy Cougars to pick on someone their own size? This is supposed to be Fun FAIR positive soccer, after all.

Anyway, during the pregame warm ups, Andrew got knocked in the head with an errant soccer ball. He was not thrilled. Then, during one of Aubrey's turns on the field about halfway through the game, she also got hit, squarely in the forehead, with an errant soccer ball being thrown in. She was not thrilled either, and started crying and wanted to be done playing. It was so sad! She came to the sidelines for a minute or two then decided, somewhat reluctantly, she was going to be brave. I began to wonder if she had my athletic-inhibited genes when she ran back out though, because she tripped over the ball that was rolling down the field. She toughed it out though, and was luckily free from other mishaps the rest of the game. I realized we had not taught her well the job of the goalie, when she let about 3 balls roll right in during her turn. She has improved since last week's practice and Coach Chad made sure to remind the players that the goalie's job is to keep the ball OUT of the net, and perhaps the best way to do that is to crouch down and be ready, (not attempt to balance on one foot when the ball is barreling down the field right at you). But darn it, she was just so cute.

When I asked Aubrey if she liked soccer after the first practice, she did not try to convince me she did. She thought it was okay. After this week's practice, she thought she wasn't good, and said she'd never play soccer again. I'm hoping that changes. Soon. Or this will be a very long season. I think as she gets more comfortable with the ball and with getting in people's personal space. Being aggressive and confrontational is just not in Aubrey's genetic makeup, and so she hesitates to go after the ball when there are lots of kids crowded together, all trying for a turn to kick the ball. And then she thinks she's not a good player because she doesn't get to kick the ball very long, if she even gets a chance. We've been working on that, and she actually has improved, so I'm hoping she continues to get better. We signed her up for soccer because she wanted to try it, so I really want it to be a good experience for her.

The best part of the first game for Aubrey was probably the orange Gatorade she got when it was over. And even though in FFPS soccer, you're not supposed to keep score, I still think they won. It's totally bucking the food chain, those Screaming Gophers beating the Speedy Cougars, but we'll see who we're up against next. Let's hope they live to Scream another day.