our soccer life

Kade has loved playing soccer since he was 3 years old.  Up here it means playing soccer in the summer time for about 2 months.  When he was younger, the week after the soccer season ended he would start asking when he can play soccer again.  I felt pretty bad for him that for the most of the year he can't play it and for probably half the year he can't even try to play with his friends because it's too cold for it.  As Kade is getting older he is starting to really love this sport and he really appreciates and enjoys every moment of it.  It is so fun to watch him blossom in it and this year must be the first time that I'm thinking to myself " wow, he is really good!"  And that is something for me to say because I'd be the first one to not give out any false compliments to my kids.  But watching Kade out there is so fun because he is pretty good and he is trying so hard.  Of course, he's no Maradona but I am surprised at how much of a natural talent he has when he really doesn't play the sport that much throughout the year.  It is so funny because here is me, a mom who is very much against parents pushing their kids into all kinds of sports, and having their lives evolve around those sports, yet a part of me is sad Kade will never have an opportunity to play soccer on a higher level.  We also try to be careful around Kade so he doesn't get too big of a head but he just thrives on acknowledgments.  Some adult was telling him what a great soccer player he is and after scoring his first few goals he wanted to know what his chances of becoming a professional soccer player were.  I pretty much told him his chances are super slim since where we live it's either hockey or baseball and I'm guessing Kade will not be playing either of those.  We ruled out hockey right away because of financial reasons and the commitment and sacrifices our whole family would have to make for it.  And baseball so far has always been during the day and I can't possibly drive Kade to town every day for that so that's the reason he can't do it.  That leaves him with soccer but I am NOT complaining, plus he's probably best at it from doing any other sports.

I've always loved soccer.  My 2 older brothers played soccer with friends from the young age and since I had to tag along with them they would either put me in one of the goals or I'd get to play with them.  Neither team wanted to pick me, of course, since I was a girl but I am pretty sure I got quite good at it eventually.  My oldest brother Marcel actually played on a soccer team for a number of years (I think he broke his arm 3 times doing it) and somehow watching Kade reminds me so much of him.  The moves he has, the focused look.  Kade's facial expressions remind me of Marcel anyway but when he's playing soccer it sometimes feels like I'm going back in time (minus the TRF team dress shirt) and am looking at my brother. :)  Or a quite shorter version of my brother.  Kade is one of the youngest kids on the team and he is one of the shortest but he's also one of the fastest.  So here we are, Ehren and I as proud as can be of Kade and we are entering the world of the soccer families.  The thing about it is that it's not a drag for me at all to go to the games.  I love watching Kade improve and have little pep talks during and afterwards.  Ehren loves it just as much and even though this year he's not coaching Kade he might start again next summer.  Anika already said she wants to play soccer next year so we will see how it goes for her.  She's the kind of person who will enjoy anything in the world that happens with other kids, but truthfully she is not very athletically gifted.  I will never discourage her from doing something because she may not be very good at it though.  It makes me smile sometime just to watch her struggle with things other kids can do so easily, yet it doesn't bring her down at all.  She is just excited to be in their company and excited to be trying something new.  And I just love that about our Ani, I have so much to learn from her already. :)

So to see a glimpse of our soccer adventure, here are some pictures and video clips.  At Kade's age they use these little goals with no goalie but next year it should be the bigger size goals - if they let Kade get in with the rest of his class mates.  According to the birthday cut-off he shouldn't be in this group, but I'd want him to go to a higher level and stay there an extra year so he gets better practice there, but we'll see.

this little boy tripped Kade 3 times as he was about to score.  Pretty frustrating but I guess that's how they play at that age.