soccer season 2009

Here are my backyard soccer pictures of the boys. I didn't feel like shelling out the $12 for pictures I could take myself! Remember Joseph's soccer picture from last year? What a difference a year makes, that's all I can say about that! He's come a long way in a year, and I am proud of him.

Mosey ended up having fun in soccer. There were 3 little boys on his team who were very good, so his team ended up winning by a very large margin every game (although they don't officially keep score at that young age level), and Mosey got so excited every time a goal was scored. He'd turn toward me immediately and put both fists in the air. It was pretty cute. He was happy to kick the ball and got more into it each game. I think he'll be happy to play again.

Joseph and Brigham had a tough last few games. After winning the first few games handily, the last four were not so great. One of those games Joseph and Brigham weren't even there (because of the Halloween recital), so I'm not surprised at the loss. The two of them were pretty key players on their team. One of the other losses, the opposing team had 3 extremely good, fast, tall players who just couldn't be stopped. (At this age, height is everything, it seems. Those tall boys with long legs can just outrun everybody on the field.) And the other loss was to a team that was extremely well-organized and who had 4 more players than the boys' team. So while disappointing, they were legitimate losses and the boys were fairly philosophical about it.
But this last game was just painful. The teams were pretty well matched. Both teams scored a goal in the first half. Then Brigham scored a goal putting them ahead. Then the other team scored again tying it up. Then Joseph scored (yay Joseph! His first goal, he was so happy) putting them ahead again. Joseph had been playing goal keeper for a lot of the game, and never let a goal in (actually he never let one in all season which is pretty impressive considering the number of goals that obviously did go into their team's goal-- just not on Joseph's watch). For a while, Brigham was goalie (he never let a goal in either), and it was really funny to watch him. He actually probably wouldn't make a great goalie, because he's way too distracted by what's going on with the rest of his team. He kept on yelling out instructions like he was the coach, and his coach had to remind him a few times to get back in front of the net. LOL! Joseph is extremely focused as goalie, and never lets his eyes off the ball. But before the last quarter another little boy asked the coach if he could be goalie, so the coach put him in and put Joseph on defense. Well, the other team immediately scored 2 goals which would NEVER have gone in had Joseph been goalie. The boys' team almost scored again, but the ball literally went right into the face of the other team's goalie. He caught it only by reflex, and ended up hurting his eye and leaving the field in tears (poor little guy, but what a great save!). It was bad luck. It was a fast, high ball, and if it had been 5 inches to the left or right, it would have gone in for sure. Finally, it was the end of the game, and the boys' team had the ball up near the other team's goal. They had a couple of really great plays and were seriously ABOUT to score, when the game ended. So they lost 4-3.
Joseph was really upset. He wanted to win so badly, and he was so incredibly frustrated because he knew the last 2 goals wouldn't have gone in if he had been playing goalie. He started crying and refused to go over with his team when the coach gave out certificates and medals. I just held him on my lap and tried to console him. He finally calmed down enough to go shake the coach's hand and tell him thank you (at my insistence). Brigham, who had been far more upset by the other losses, seemed okay, and voluntarily thanked the coach like the gentleman he is.
I think Brigham was humiliated by the other losses (which were 5:1 and 5:0), and so they were more upsetting to him. But this game was very close and he felt good about his efforts so he was ok. But Joseph knew his team didn't really have a chance in those other games, and had already withdrawn emotionally long before the game was over. But he really thought they were going to pull this last game out, and his disappointment was acute.
Anyway, we had a good talk about playing on a team and being a good sport and after a celebratory/consolatory lunch at Burger King, Joseph was ok. Still, a tough end. I wanted so badly for them to win that last game.
So, that wraps up the 2009 season. They want to play winter soccer. I'll have to think about whether I can handle having soccer dominate our weekend schedule for another few months. Or whether I can handle the mommy-nerves that plague me when I'm watching them. I always suffered from nerves terribly when I was competing in sports in high school, and it's just as bad now that it's my kids playing! We have a few weeks to decide.