Monday, April 25, 2011

Our First Sporting Experience

We are about a month into Graham's (and ours) first team sport activity.  We had enrolled him into soccer, I thought he would absolutely love: running around, playing with other kids, and he was very excited about his cleats and shin guards!
I have always thought of Graham as a pretty active kid, but also one that is very tender and sensitive.  I never thought the latter would come out on the field! 

His first practice was great he was super excited to play...
This is a picture as we were walking out the door to go to his first soccer practice...   Can't you see his anticipation?!?!

Every time he would kick the ball at practice, he would bend down like this... Hey Graham!  It's not golf!

 Lining up and waiting to do a new drill
Completely ignoring his coach...


And here is a video of his first game.  I love how he just runs behind the clump of kids!  The first 15 minutes of this game he was crying on the sidelines.... I asked him why and he said that he was a little shy.
Yep, that is my tender kid!
We had to do a little bribery to get him out there.... hey I would have gone out for a Dairy Queen Dipped Cone too!! (and no, I don't feel bad I had to bribe my child... you all do it too! Admit it!)

Unfortunately his desire to be involved in soccer has drastically depleted since his first practice and game.  His game two weeks ago he was just walking around the field picking at his nails... At one point he went up to the other coach (ok, it was several times throughout the game) and proceeded to have a conversation with her.  Because the kids are young the coaches are the ref's as well... so needless to say, she was a little busy but was trying to be nice to my sweet (and distracting) son.  Maybe that was his tactic... distract the other coach, so his team could score a goal... probably not, but I will pretend that's what he was doing! lol!
At one point in the game, he ran over to the sideline where I was, and said "look mom! Now I can blink with one eye!"  He was so proud he had learned to wink, which of coarse is wonderful, I am just a little bummed I had to pay an $80 soccer fee for him to learn it!
This week's game went slightly better.  He actually touched the ball, no not with his hands! I guess I should say that he actually kicked the ball a few times!  Maybe he just needs a little more time.
Tommy and I are adamant that he does not quit, he MUST finish the season (it is ONLY 8 weeks!) but part of me wants to enroll him again and see if he likes it more... but I don't want to make him miserable either. 
What is a mom to do?

If nothing else.... he did get a lot of running in and I got a few chuckles :)

1 comment:

XSUSHA said...

This totally reminds me of me! Only I didn't even make it as far as enrollment. Maybe next year baseball? Then track, then you give up and enroll him in OM (remember that? Odyssey of the Mind?, or "Hey my kid is well on their way to being president of the Science Corporation)