Soccer Moments

 I must take a moment and let everyone know, yes, I did survive.


Before the soccer season ever started, I was seriously doubting whether I wanted to go through the whole “soccer mom” thing again this year.  But all my kids insisted they really wanted to play; so I broke down and signed them up, (except for my youngest.  I can only take so much at a time).  Soon thereafter, the city called and wanted ME to be the soccer coach for BJ and MJ’s team.  (They were both on the same team.)  After several days, I finally gave in, (because I just haven’t figured out how to say that short little word “no” yet.  It seems so simple and yet it is sooooo hard to actually say.) And what’s even more crazy, the city doesn't even give a discount for soccer coach kids!!!

I now had 4 kids in soccer, one practice and two games each week, each kid.  It took up every day, Tuesday through Saturday.  I must admit, it was quite the experience.  It’s one thing to try and get your kids to all the practices and games, and a whole other to be the coach along with it.  The second practice into it, I was playing with the kids when I hit a patch of grass, my foot twisted to the side, and I heard a loud POP.  I knew it was bad.  But I had to be tough for those kids, right?  The next day, my ankle was very swollen.  It must have been quite the sight for the parents to see their child’s coach limping all over the field the first game.  It took several weeks for that to heal.  I still have problems with my ankle but I can use it now.  I hope the adage “Once sprained always sprained” is not true.



There were moments I couldn’t wait for the season to be over, and there were moments I didn’t want it to end.  I got to know my soccer kids on a much more personal level.  Some of them, actually all of them, found a way into my heart and I truly cared about them.

There were many games we played in the rain.  One of the worst was, of coarse, picture day.  It began to rain just after the game started . . . and then came the lightning.  When lightning struck within a mile, they finally cancelled the game and we all went running off the field.  But the photographers still wanted to take pictures!!!!  (I had figured they had left already.)  Half my team was gone before I realized this, and those that were left were soaked to the bone.  I had only 5 of the 11 players there, (2 were my own kids) my hair was a total mess . . . but they still took that picture.  (I will not show that one to you.)  One of the mothers on the team offered to take everyone’s pictures after one of the games to make up for it.  I was so grateful for her.   Those are the ones I am willing to show.  (She did a much better job anyway.)




Several weeks into the season, one of the girls informed me that “something was happening to her mom.”  But she didn’t know what it was.  After talking to her dad, he told me her mom had overdosed on drugs.  My heart went out to her.  Wow, what kids have to grow up with today.  They have to be so strong.  I pray for her.  I still think about her a lot. 





 My team never won a game.  I always tried to keep things positive and upbeat for them.  Half way through one of the games, one of the girls said, “we’re losing really bad, aren’t we.” 
I replied, “Are you having fun?”
“Yes.” 
“Then you’re not losing.”
The very last game, we scored the first goal and we kept the other team at bay for nearly half the game.  Right at the end, they got so tired and the other team scored 4 goals in 7 minutes.  At the end I was congratulating the kids for winning half the time.  One of the boys said “But you said it doesn’t matter if you win or loose, it only matters if you have fun.”  Wow, how I came to love those kids. 

 

The last day of soccer, I turned in my ball bag and the city presented me with a plaque for their appreciation.  It was the picture the photographers took on that dreaded picture day.  Wow, what a thank you gift.  (Do you think it would be bad if I burned that one?)

"Like"

So the other day, I began to realize that I was like, using the word “like” all the time.  It stunned me actually because when I was younger, I used to think those girls who used that word all the time were weird or stuck up.  I seriously was like wondering where in the world I had like picked up that bad habit.  And what made me even more frustrated was, now that I am realizing it, it is sooooo hard to change it.  Like what in the world do you use instead of the word like.

Soon after, I realized my son RD also was using the word like, sometimes two or three times in each sentence.  Wow, I really needed to change for HIM.  I was being a bad example.

So in my efforts of trying to rid myself of this bad habit, I was talking to one of my friends when I realized she uses that same word ALL THE TIME too.  Ok, so maybe I picked up that bad habit from her, or maybe her from me, who knows.  (Which came first, the chicken or the egg?) 

Then I was in the grocery store and I overheard another group talking and heard the word “like” all the time.  I was stunned.  This word is like everywhere.

Just today, I went to the school to help the kids practice for the opera (I am the piano player) and holy cow (That’s another word I should probably get rid of) all of the kids were using that word at least once per sentence.   I finally realized it, this whole town has been infected with a totally useless word . . . and I . . . have just followed the crowd.