Well, I guess it’s inevitable when you have kids that are into sports.
This past weekend, I watched my daughter play her very last soccer game. That’s her in the orange jersey and it was hard for me to not have tears in my eyes as the the last whistle blew (of course, I didn’t let her see the tears). She started playing soccer when she was 5 years old and for 9 years I have been on the sidelines watching her play a game that she loves. To all the great coaches she has had over the years, I thank you for making her into the soccer player she is today.
There were so many practices, games and tournaments, pairs of cleats and smelly socks through the years, as well as, the many great families we’ve met and memories that we’ve made. It’s so hard to believe that this wonderful time in her life is over.
It was the third year in a row that her team made it to the California State Championship. Even though they didn’t come home with the victory, the team was comprised of a group of girls and two awesome coaches that are champions in my book. The skills, the sportsmanship, the comraderie and the class that this team brought to the fields every single game would make anyone proud to be a part of.
that's me in the blue poncho, the soccer mom!
This last game, it was raining, windy, cold and miserable but there I was, cheering from the sidelines, as I always am. No amount of weather will keep this mom from supporting her kids! (Notice the sunglasses I’m wearing in the friggin rain? That was so no one noticed this tough mom crying her eyes out!)
High school will start for her next year and with that brought the tough decision of her picking which sport to focus on. A tough choice for a kid but between soccer and volleyball, she chose the later.
Gone are the days where kids could play 3 different sports during their high school years, or at least here in SoCal. From what I hear, it’s possible to play 2 sports but it can be very difficult and it depends on the coaches so most kids end up picking one.
So, with all that being said, I bid soccer a farewell, it’s been fun and we’ve had a lot of “kicks!” I finally got to the point where I knew all the rules, considered going to a ref clinic and, after all these years of yelling the wrong thing, now I tell all the newbie parents that it’s “OFFSIDE, NOT OFFSIDES! (Thanks for clarifying that Coach Luci!).
Awww, how I’m going to miss it!