August 27, 2008

Soccer

Last february I took a walk on the wild side and signed Finn up for soccer. I felt a little apprehensive. We would no longer be foot-loose-and-fancy-free. The little hippie on one shoulder was frowning while the little cheerleader on the other shoulder was doing back-flips.

After purchasing the cleats and shin guards, John and I formed our initial hypotheses.

John's hypothesis: Finn would be doing cartwheels on the the soccer field during practice.

My hypothesis: Finn would stand in a daze while all the other boys raced by him.

When we arrived at the first practice, I felt at home amongst the other shaggy haired boys. Coach plays in a men's league 2 or 3 times a week and his little son Alex was a complete professional in his Beckham jersey, doing the whole "kick and slide". Very Impressive. But we were most charmed by little Joseph, who kept picking up the ball when he wasn't supposed to, or kicking it the wrong direction cheering, "I won!". To my surprise, Finn was able to keep up with the pack and dribbled here and there til little Beckham swooped in. So my hypothesis was wrong. Finn was not in a daze. He was actually quite the willing participant.

During some of the drills, the open green field was too hard to resist and it wasn't long before Finn was doing cartwheels. So John's hypothesis proved correct! And then little blond Beckham decided that cartwheels looked like fun and joined Finn. I held my breath for a split-second, wondering how coach was going to react to his super-star-son-turned-tumbler. But I had no need to worry. Coach is a softie and just smiled and tousled his son's blond mane.

Back at home, Finn is a new boy. He informs me that "soccer is his new favorite game". He requested a shirt with a number on it, so everyone can find him on the field. This was no easy task! I drove Finn to 4 major sports stores, searching in vain for a little jersy. We finally found some at Target of all places. I handed him a little red and white jersey with a #9 on it and he clutched it for dear life, all the way home. This is the new sight around my house.

He wears it ALL THE TIME. He even wanted to wear it to church, so everyone there would know he plays soccer. I am NOT used to his new found wardrobe opinions. But I am so happy that he loves playing soccer. He dribbles everytime we go outside, and John even resurrected the old pvc-pipe goal.



The other night I tried to dribble with him at the park, and it was quite the workout.

I fully expected soccer to be boring watching all the klutzy little guys struggling to handle the ball. But, I find it to be wildly exciting and my heart pounds as I watch my "tiny Tim" dribbling down the field.

I was sort-of dreading Finn turning 5 and doing all this big-boy stuff. But for all you moms of babies out there, I will tell you one thing.

--Not to Worry--

Your babies will still be as dear as ever when they get bigger. Trust me. I have never been more fond of my Finn boy:) There's just something about a boy in a soccer jersey.

Finn wearing his back-up jersey--not his favorite, because it does not have a number on it.



**Finn was just sitting like this, I was not trying to get him to pose:)

I was right about one thing though. Organized activity does have its draw-backs. Our very first practice went way over and I was ridiculously late to a friend's dinner. And I missed an impromptu extra practice, because I went out of town to visit a friend. Tis ok though. All is well.

11 comments:

  1. A very handsome boy, with or without a number! Good job Finn!

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  2. Sounds like you're doing great with the organized activities. =)

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  3. Sports bring out a side you'd not otherwise see in your kids. I expect you to find it all quite thrilling!

    BTW - are you homeschooling? (I don't mean are you doing schoolwork, I just mean are you going to send your boys to school or keep them home?)

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  4. I have really enjoyed having Addy in soccer. Sometimes the early Sat games make me want to scream. Its so fun to watch and cheer for your kid...and fun to get to know the other moms.

    Enjoy it!

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  5. Next you're going to be fighting to keep all of the girls away from him...he's such a handsome little guy!!

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  6. I'm so happy Finn is loving soccer! I agree- little kids in soccer uniforms are too cute- they look like miniature pros or something. Great pictures and glad you are having fun with it.

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  7. LOL, I can totally relate. At the orthodontist the other day Jon informed the lady that he actually played baseball on a real team and went on to tell her that it was the real NY Yankees. She was like "OH" as her eyeballs were popping out and her lips were trying to avoid laughing. I was so embarrassed at his unashamed pride. Boys! All the team and sports stuff really feeds their drive for brave "boyhood". I feel bad for every boy that never played at least one team sport at least once. Their little manhood egos just seem to "need" it. =0)

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  8. Ahhh soccer. I'm hoping that one of our kids gets to try it... Mark's pretty set on them playing baseball though... :)

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  9. Ohhhh, he is such a cutie!!! What a huge step for a Mom too- organized sports. You and your husband sure do an incredible job at encouraging your boys in the things they love!

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  10. Oh that's too cute. Looks like he loves soccer! There IS definitely something exhilarating about watching your child in action. We've been on swim team with Logan and ballet with Juliet and I can honestly say I get a little thrill every time I see them in the pool or on the stage. Whheee. LOL. His attatchment to his number jersey is so cute!! When I was at The Children's Place the other day, I noticed they had a bunch of number jersey style tees as well... in case you need a back up to your back up. ;)
    By the way... GREAT hair. I love it. I've tried growing Logan's hair out a couple of times but when it just gets long enough to look like a mess but not a style, I give in and cut it all back off. I've always wanted him to have the shaggier longer hair though. Maybe someday. lol.

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