Soccer!

My daughter Sofia just turned 3 a few weeks ago. Whether or not you ask she is more than happy to let you know her age, which is followed quickly by “Mama is 3 and 5”. Sigh.

Having turned 3 years old, a whole new world is opening up for Sofia with lots of new and fun things to do. For starters, I have enrolled her in a fall soccer program through the YMCA. Soccer for toddlers; it’s a riot. One of her favorite things to do is run around the yard kicking the ball, so I thought this was going to be a blast.

First of all, what was I thinking signing up for a program that starts at 9:00 a.m. every Saturday for 8 weeks straight? It’s certainly not that I am sleeping at this time of the morning on the average Saturday, au contraire. My son makes sure that I am up with the birds. The process of getting everyone up, fed, dressed, packed, and out the door is turning what should be a calm Saturday into an extended work week.

But once we get everyone loaded into the van with the usual frenzied bustling and drive the 20 minutes to the field we’re in better spirits. On approach we see all of the on-time kids and parents dribbling balls around the field, and Sofia gets very excited screaming, “SOCCER!!!!” We make our way over to the coach (Am I out of line if I say eye candy? See pictures below), and coax a suddenly shy Sofia to join her teammates.

I wasn’t sure what to expect out of a team practice for a bunch of toddlers, but I was in awe of the structure that the coaches try to enforce. They warm up with stretches and jumping jacks. They run around the perimeter of the field in a (somewhat straggled) row. They go over in slightly exhausting detail how to stop the ball, put your foot on top of it, and of course dribble and kick. On the first day when the coach started going over the responsibility of each position, I thought, “yeah, that will sink in.” I’m guessing maybe a 10th of it did. But they all stood there and kind of listened.

While all of this was going on, Sofia was pretty much in and out in terms of participation. She likes the running and the kicking, and did learn how to put her foot on the ball. But a good percentage of the other time was spent running around in circles, making up dance routines and posing on the ground, or following some of the other kids around that were participating in other wayward activities.

I had envisioned practices to include a bunch of kids running around kicking balls at will. I’m sure that would only end in chaos and bruised shins, so this way is probably better. Either way, she’s having a great time, which is the point…right? Anyone else enrolled in fall sports?

Sofia exercising her right not to jumping jack.


Not the best picture, but trust me, he is very good looking.

I’m in trouble. Once again, this apple didn’t fall far from the tree.