Soccer Mom

I'm a Soccer Mom and I'm not ashamed. I'm not the stereotypical soccer mom -- I work full time and go to school on top of my soccer mom duties. But, I love being a soccer mom. I love the sport, I love the games, I love the kids, I love the families. Dammit, I love being a soccer mom and I'm not ashamed to admit it!

We have officially survived Week One of SOCCER MANIA! Hubby is coaching Wonder Boy's team and Super Girl's team this fall. WOW! I am officially the assistant coach because I like that title better than "bossy coach's wife" (note that bitchy could be substituted for bossy).

So, yesterday was Wonder Boy's first game. Score isn't supposed to matter so much, but for those keeping track, we lost 4-1. It should have been three to one, but the referee counted the goal that happened when the other team walked on our poor goalie's face. He is fine, but boy was he ticked at the time! The boys had fun and were NOT humiliated. This counts as a win in my book since this team has suffered endless losses and utter annihilation.

The score was respectable and the play was competitive. If we can get the little dudes (10 and under) to pass shoot sooner we might see a victory or two.... MIGHT.

Today was Super Girl's first game. This team has been together since they were all 6 years old. Now they are in the 11 and under division -- they have 3 new team mates who fit right in. Hubby's friend is now coaching CYO so hubby took over coaching this team. They are a great team. They ended up having to pull players and play short early due to the mercy rule. We pulled down to the minimum number of players and kept our power players on a short leash. We asked the girls to focus on passing vs. shooting and kept the best shooters on defense. Our girls had 4 players and a goalie vs. the other team at full strength with 7 players and a goalie.

They won by a landslide anyway, but they were good sports and cheered the other team after. Our town is big on making a tunnel for the other team when you win -- the kids cheer for the other team and put their arms up in a bridge for the other team to run through. It is good to see good sportsmanship. The other coach said most of his team had never played before. The other team still had fun despite the loss so it was a good game. I don't mean to sound overly politically correct, but you hate to see a team killed and discouraged.

Hubby and I worked the lines, did the substitutions, kept time, and coached the kids without ever wanting to kill each other. Yippee! Coaching 2 teams has added workload to our lives, but it is definitely the part of my week I look forward to. Everyone thought we were crazy to take this on, but I think we are the ones having the most fun on weekends now. No, I am not ashamed of the title "soccer mom." To be a soccer mom is to be pretty darn lucky. You get to watch your child grow through participation in a team sport. Also, you get to have a hell of a lot of fun!