Kid's First Soccer Practice and Game

I signed the kids up for soccer at the YMCA.

I thought it would be fun for all of us to enjoy and to get the kids involved in something that they can get their energy out.

So far it's just a real pain in the butt to go to practice two times a week in the evening. They get filthy from playing in the dirt more then they play soccer and we never make it home in time for bedtime let alone a bath. Then we devote almost the whole Saturday to games. Having two kids signed up is inconvenient. The game times change each week and one could be in the morning and the other one several hours later and we don't necessarily live next door. Brandon got roped into coaching Brayden's team and I was okay with that because I thought I could drop Kaleb off at the kids club but it's not allowed if I'm there for soccer practice, and I want to be there to watch. Ugh. Hopefully I get used to this.

They had their first practice a few weeks ago.

Kaleb's practice was earlier in the week.

I was very proud of him. He followed directions very well and was very focused.

Sometimes he was a little too focused.

He learned what it meant to "dribble" the ball and how not to use his hands.

He was very careful and took forever to make it to the goal.

Kysen was a cutie pie and stayed with me to watch.

Brayden's practice was a few days later.

Like I said, Brandon got roped into coaching her team.

She did very well also and listened to everything Brandon said. I was worried how she would react to him being the coach but she didn't have a problem sharing him and was very attentive.

They learned how to dribble and stop the ball.

And Kaleb was my little photographer.

Now onto the games.

We sat in the wind and rain which was fun... :/

Kaleb was a hoot to watch.

He did so well standing exactly where his coach put him that when the ball was put into play, he didn't move. We had to scream to him to run after the ball...then he would start running to where all the other kids were running.

He was so funny. Every time we would cheer his name he would look back at us like, "what? what do you want?" And not see where he was running.

I noticed how "nice" he was on the field. It's a funny thing how we teach our kids to share, take turns, and don't take things from other kids. Then we throw them on a soccer field and we're all yelling at them to get the ball away from the other kid.

He got the ball a few times. One time he kicked it out of bounds and just kept dribbling it well in to the other field. He wasn't going to stop. I thought he might make a goal in the other field but the ref got him in time.

His team won 2 to 1.

We got lucky and Brayden was scheduled to play right after him. It still was raining on and off.

The funny thing I noticed about Brayden was that every time the other team was kicking the ball in the direction of their goal, instead of stopping them she would run straight to the goal to block it. At this age they don't have goalies but Brayden really wanted to be one.

She had more than five players show up so they each had to take turns sitting out a couple of times.

At that point I was wondering what the heck am I doing this for? I was sitting in the wind and rain with my three children, crying and whining. I had no help from my husband who was on the field coaching and I sat there watching everybody else's kids playing soccer. It was crazy. And next week Kaleb's coach will be out of town so Brandon is coaching both teams. Lovely. Hopefully this is worth it and they enjoy it and get something out of it.

I don't know if I'm up for this "soccer mom" business.

They loved the snacks afterwards though.

I got some video for the grandmas. I got more video of Kaleb since I didn't have Brandon's help with the kids when I was watching Brayden. It was hard to do it all. Sorry it's a little long. I didn't spend too much time editing it.