Soccer season #5

 

 

It really is my favorite time of year. I may complain about it being busy and how we are gone 3 nights a week plus Saturday's. But really, I love it. The air is turning. The sun shines crisp. The sky is brilliant blue. I love watching the kids run wild and revel in the feel of their bodies. I love watching my husband coach with care and patience. I love sitting beside the field catching up with old friends and making new ones. I love that we are spending time as a family, enjoying the fresh air, and being part of our community.

Soccer Tournament

 Setting up a corner kick

 Celebrating an assist on goal (from the corner kick)!

 Happy teammates - learning to work together

 The serious face of concentration

 Back in goal

 Setting up for another corner kick

 Good defending

 Go Fireballs!

 Coaches being recognized for their hard work

Another great season

More soccer...

We are really enjoying this spring soccer season. It is well organized and manageable (in terms of time) and we can see Jeremiah enjoying himself and building his skills. He continues to really enjoy playing defense positions and on Tuesday night got to be goalie again! (This league doesn't usually play with goalies, so he had been taking a break from that.) On Saturday morning he got to play more offense than he usually does and he scored a goal! We can really tell that he is understanding the strategy and mechanics of the game - passing, blocking, being in position, directing team mates. It is very fun to watch.

We have designated May as a media free month in our house as part of a project/fast that I am doing with a group of women from church. We plan to fill the month with school work, house work, hanging out with friends, and spending more quality time with each other. I may pop in here every now and then to post but we are giving up Facebook, reading blogs, watching Netflix etc. So if you need to contact me in May the phone or email are your best bets. Or a smoke signal may work too. Ha ha.

Spring soccer

 

We have participated in fall soccer for 4 years now. This year we are trying out a spring soccer program in a community about 15 minutes north of us. The program is run through the YMCA and although there have been some surprises we have been generally impressed with the organization of this program. Just Jeremiah is playing this year and Aaron was asked to coach again.We enjoy being out in the fresh air, meeting new people, hanging out with old friends, and getting some exercise.

soccer champs!

On Saturday the Wolverines played in the championship game for the 4&5yr old division from our area. They played really, really well and won the game 4-2! (I will be honest here and say that the other team scored 2 own goals, but I think our team would have won anyway, they were on fire!) And Nathaniel scored a goal! He has been working hard all year to score. He is an amazing dribbler, but not quite as fast as some of the other kids on his team. So he would work really hard to dribble around everyone on the field and get the ball into the box, and then someone else would score. Oh well. On Saturday he scored and celebrated his goal in true professional voetball style - arms in the air, gigantic smile, and ran right to me to give me a hug! Yes. I was THAT mom, screaming crazy at the sideline and swinging my boy around. It was awesome.

We really enjoyed these kids this year. They were full of energy and enthusiasm. And there isn't much cuter than 4&5 year olds playing soccer. We made some new friends again this year which is always fun.

Go Wolverines!

Season ends

Yesterday was a perfect fall day! It was warm, sunny, and the leaves were brilliant. We finished up the soccer season with both teams. The Wolverine's (Nathaniel's team) played in their tournament first. They won their game so they play in the championship next Saturday! The Fireballs played in their tournament as well. Unfortunately they lost their game and so their season is officially over. We then headed out to Camp New Dawn for celebratory ice cream sundaes and the presentation of trophies. The kids played on the property and wore themselves out while the adults visited.
This was a great soccer season. Both teams played hard and learned a lot. We made new friends and enjoyed catching up with old ones.
Go team!

The annual soccer pictures

 

It is that time of year again! 

The morning of our annual soccer jamboree dawned humid and clear. Nathaniel's games were first and he ran his little heart out! He scored a goal on a free kick he took. He also played goalie for a bit and stopped the ball multiple times. 

As the rain rolled in we quickly loaded up and drove out to Jeremiah's games. Jeremiah played the first game as goalie and rocked it! The second game he played up front and was pretty aggressive.

Aaron is such a great coach. He is so patient with the kids. He really teaches them the basics of soccer and is always encouraging. 

We are ready for another fun season!

Soccer "try outs" 2012

Another late summer evening, another soccer "try out."
This is our 4th year so we excitedly load up the van while Aaron is still on the phone with the Rec Center coordinator trying to figure out if there are enough coaches. The evening light on the field is warm, but golden-ing, the first sign that summer is waning and fall is on its way. Kids run wild. The boys head straight for the field without a backward glance at me. They immediately fall in with old friends, many whom we have not seen since last year. I greet other parents. We make small talk and catch up.
Aaron eventually helps line kids up. He is a quiet leader this man of mine. He sees what needs to be done and does it without fanfare or showing off. He has a knack for making kids feel important and special. He is having to coach 2 teams this year - Nathaniel's (4&5 year olds) and Jeremiah's (6&7 year olds). He watches kids run and shoot.
Parents mill around. Talking. Watching their kids. Wondering what teams they will end up on.
Oma and Opa are here this year, watching their grandsons. It is fun to have them here for this part of our life. 
We are excited for another year of soccer!

the Fireballs final game of 2011

 Warming up

Jeremiah and Carter fighting for a goal during warm ups.

Jeremiah's game face

 Jeremiah's other game face

 Jeremiah on defense. 

He didn't let the big kids intimidate him and turned the ball!

 The battle for the ball. 

Aaron in the background in coaching action. 

 

 Pizza party!

 Coach Aaron & Coach Jason

Jason's son has been on the same team as Jeremiah for all 3 soccer seasons. 

 The trophy!

 Go Fireballs!

It has been quite a season for the Fireballs. They have improved so much since their first game! They have all worked so hard and fought so hard to win a game. Unfortunately they did not win any games this season. But this group of kids learned a lot about the game of soccer, and they worked as a team, and they were all delightful. Their last game (this past Tuesday) was so exciting! They did terrific and I am convinced would have at least tied, or possibly won, but for some goals that were taken away for technical reasons. 

Jeremiah has shown this year that he is really good in the defensive positions. He understands the purpose and knows how to play in position. He is very good at turning the ball and passing it up the field to teammates. Aaron put Jeremiah in goal for the final half of the game when the score was 2-1 (Fireballs down). I was so incredibly nervous! But oh my goodness! Jeremiah rocked in the goal! Honestly. He made about 6 absolutely amazing stops. Once, it was just him with the forward coming toward him. The forward kicked the ball, Jeremiah got down to grab it but somehow it slipped past him so he threw his body around backwards and grabbed the ball with the tips of his fingers just before it crossed the goal line. I cheered myself hoarse! 

We have really enjoyed this season. We enjoy getting to know new kids and families as well as continuing to build relationships with kids and families that we already know. Aaron has loved coaching and is planning on doing it again next year.