Our sweet family is many things. We are readers, we are talkers, we are great friends. What we are not is jocks. You won't find us on the basketball court or baseball field. You won't find us playing a game of street hockey. You won't find us playing touch football in the yard on Thanksgiving Day. As The Doctor so eloquently once put it, "We're lucky we can breathe and walk at the same time." No, we are definitely not jocks.
This is what I told L last year, when she begged and begged for me to sign her up for soccer. One day, as I was walking to pick up the Curly Girly Trio from school, I walked past the PE teacher, Mrs. J. She stopped me and said, "You know Mrs. CGM, L really wants to play soccer."
"Oh, she's told you too, has she?," I replied, with a smile. "I know she does, but we are not an athletic family."
We had this conversation a few times over a few months. One day, she stopped me and said, "Mrs. CGM, I know you keep saying you're not a family of jocks, but I'm telling you, L is really trying hard to be one."
I decided at the beginning of this school year to sign L up for soccer through the city's club, hoping that she would love it, even if she wasn't the greatest player. She truly wasn't the greatest player and sadly, she had coaches who had no desire to help or encourage her. She got more bench time than she got play time, but she loved every minute of being there.
During the Spring, the city offers another soccer program that is smaller, 8 on a team and 5 on the field. One Mom from L's Fall team encouraged me to sign up L telling me it's a great way for the kids to learn the game. After weeks of only playing a quarter of the game, I asked L if she wanted to play again and was met with a resounding, "Yes! I love soccer!"
I signed her up for 5 on 5 and crossed my fingers it would be a better experience. Her coaches this season have been wonderful in encouraging her. She is still not the greatest player, but her coaches allow her more field time than bench time and are teaching her what she needs to know during practices.
Other Moms cheer when their kid scores a goal; I cheer when my kid kicks the ball. For so long, she would stay towards the end of the pack and when the ball came at her, she would shy away, but the last few games, I've noticed she is actually trying to kick and last week, she actually got an assist!
This morning, walking on to the field, I told her, "Remember how awesome you played on Thursday? Remember how you really got in there, during the second half?"
"Yes, Mommy," she replied with a smile. "And I even got an assist!"
"That's right!," I agreed. "That's how you need to play all of today's game."
"OK, Mommy, and I'll try to get lots of assists," she said.
"Not just assists, L, go for the goal!," I encouraged her.
She looked at me and said, "Assists are good too, Mommy."
Yes. Yes, they are. (But goals are better.)
I am sorry to say that L was not so aggressive this game. She tried, but it looked like her heart wasn't in it. Is it because 9:00 am is too early for her? I know it's a bit early for me. Is it because the team we were playing was made up of nearly half of her old team and she was intimidated?
I cheered (screamed) from the sidelines, "Go, L, go!" "Kick the ball! No, the other way!" "Get in there!!!" "Be aggressive!" Instead of her normal thumbs up, I got, "I'm trying!" and a shoulder shrug. Did my pep talk have the opposite effect? Was I making this too stressful for her?
As we were walking off the field, L holding her cookies and juice and me lugging the chair and the bags and her ball, I asked her, "So, how do you think you played today?"
"mumble mumble," she answered. "Can I have my cookies now?"
"Yes, but do you think you played as well as the last game?," I coaxed.
"mumble No," she said, looking down.
"Are you still having fun?," I asked with bated breath.
"Yes, and isn't that the whole point?," she said, wisely.
You betcha, my little jock.
Schooled by my 6 year old.
