Soccer season has started! And we were crazy and signed 3 girls up for soccer, which makes our lives super crazy for a few months. Aubrey practices Mondays and Fridays, and Ada and Penny on Tuesdays and Thursdays one right after the other-but at different locations. And then three in soccer means at least 3 games each Saturday. It controls our lives a bit, but we have seen our girls gain so much confidence and they have improved so much over the past few years. It is so fun to watch them play.
Grandma and Grandpa Harvey were in town for their first games of the season which was extra special for the girls to have them cheering on the sidelines. Last year Aubrey's team lost every game except one. And they didn't score a point in almost every game. But they all still loved playing. Luckily her coach and most of her team stuck around this year and I think it helps tremendously.
And now my mom review cause a mom can brag about her kids.
Aubrey's team came out strong. They scored a goal a few minutes into the game and then their adrenaline got rolling. They ended up beating the other team 14-0 or something like that. Poor team. But we know how that feels from watching our girls last year. It was a good confidence booster for the girls and their coach. He is so great with them. Aubrey scored 4 (or 5) goals! She is one of the stronger players on her team and she is in her element with soccer now. Once after practice she said, "How long is practice?" When I told her it was an hour long she said, "I wish it could be 2 or 3 hours long."
Ada's coach stuck around too....and her whole team from last year plus a couple new girls. We love this team. Ada and her friend Whitney have played on the same team for three years and they are so fun to watch together. Also- thanks to Mom we found out that Ada's coach is a relative of ours! Ada was excited to find out she has a 'cousin' on her team.
Ada's first game of the season was a close one. Ada has always been a natural soccer player from day 1. She isn't strong at passing and playing her position. She has learned that when she passes to teammates they often lose the ball, so she just prefers to take it down herself. She is starting to get better at this-well she has had to get better at this-because the field is huge this year and she gets to exhausted if she tries to do it all. Anyways- the other team scored near the beginning of the game, and then it was a pretty even match from there on out. Ada was able hustle hard and score a goal to tie the game. Coach then put her in as goalie (which she loves to play-but it isn't her forte). The last minute of the game she let one slip by. They girls all had a blast though.
This past weekend they played their second game. Coach put in Ada and Whitney as forwards and it was evident a couple minutes and about 4 goals later from this duo that we were going to dominate this game. Coach quickly pulled them out to give the other team a break. Ada sat on the sideline for a good chunk of the game. He put Whitney back in first but only with the agreement that she wouldn't score but instead pass it to a teammate to help someone else score. She was amazing at this. Ada does not have that kind of self control. When she was put in she quickly made a couple more goals. Coach had her out for a bit more because he was being great and didn't want to completely cream these new girls. Near the end of the game he let Ada in on the condition that she would kick the ball to help the other team score. She looked dumbfounded when he said this but agreed. After the game she was frustrated by her lack of playing time and then said, "Well I hope we play a super hard team next week."
And Penny is just smiling from the minute her game starts until it ends. She flits around the field and chases the ball. Sometimes if she isn't sure what to do with herself, she just runs a circle around the field to look busy. She is loving her first season of soccer. Her team has lost probably 20-1 both times they have played, but if you ask Penny she will say they won. Or lost by 1.
I had to take screen shots of the pictures other parents uploaded because it wouldn't let me save them!
We are so grateful for the coaches and teammates our girls have. While it is a big sacrifice of our time to have our girls involved in soccer it is so worth it.
Along with soccer this fall, Aubrey and Ada are both participating in cross country (Penny would be doing this but you have to be in 1st grade). They practice for a half hour three mornings a week before school. We love the cross country program here and the meets are so fun to watch.
Aubrey has returned to piano lessons and this year Ada is joining her. So our back to school has been extremely busy, but we are falling into a routine and believe it or not we do have some time to just relax and be as a family.
