Opening Day

Soccer season has arrived. After several weeks of practice, both kids had their first games today. Kelly is newly arrived in the Under 12 division, so she is the youngest on her team. She is also the smallest (as reflected by her jersey number 2), as the Under 12 girls are starting to really grow. The size differentials can become substantial. However, Kelly has impressed her coaches from the first minutes of the first practice with her ball handling and passing skills (a soccer academy she attended just before the practices began probably helped), and she has performed well in practices.


Although she is small, the coaches played her at right wing for three quarters of the game today, and then at left back guarding the other team's best player when she was scheduled to be out because one of her teammates, a strong defender, fell ill. The field is full size now, although they also now play with eleven players instead of seven. Remarkably, although there are a couple of stars on the team, Kelly scored the lone goal, which won the game.


Predictably, of course, I missed it, because I was dashing back to the car to retrieve the post-game snacks I had inadvertently left behind. I heard the excited cries of the parents, though, so I suspected somebody had scored (much like the roar that arises from Dodger Stadium as we proceed through the parking lot in the eighth inning as one of the Dodgers hits a home run, except on a much, much smaller scale). As I headed back to the field I could see that the other team was kicking off, so I knew that at least our team was the one that scored. I knew there was a chance Kelly had been the one to score since she was playing forward, but I was still surprised and, obviously, pleased to confirm it.

Scoring and winning are fun for the girls and coaches in the short term, but I suspect that Kelly will derive longer-term benefits from her performance today. The coaches have recognized her abilities and heart, but now her teammates and their parents see her with a new appreciation for her consistently high level of play all game long. She has been a bit of an outsider at practices; I imagine that will change. Soccer in general has been a profoundly useful socialization tool for Kelly; she connects with kids she would never approach otherwise whenever a soccer ball makes an appearance. She identifies herself as a soccer player (among other things), and the sense of confidence that comes with it is priceless.


Michael also had his first game, playing a split-squad three-on-three format like last year, although this year the team has ten boys instead of five, and they have a weekday practice. Michael has no problems with socialization, and soccer is just one more opportunity to play with some new friends. Although most of the boys on his team already knew each other from other activities, Michael has jumped right in and made a lot of friends. He also plays well, uses both feet well, and generally has a good time.


My relocation means that I won't be able to attend their practices any more, which is a significant loss for me, especially with Kelly. I have become a personal coach for her, not because I insist on it, but because she constantly seeks advice on how to get better. It is great fun, as a result, to see her play so well in the games. Fortunately, I will be around for all of the Saturday games. Saturdays in the fall would not be the same without them.