Back to Sports Season

[MoxieMom.com]

Notes from the Sidelines

The start of a fresh school year means the start of a fresh sports season. Soccer season for the kids.  Sideline Sitting Season for parents.  It's a time of great hope. Maybe our kids will have developed super-star skills over the summer by lazing at the pool.  Maybe I'll finally shout just the right encouraging sideline remark to help my kids on to victory. Hope springs eternal.   

Practice, Practice, Practice

Last season, both of my children had practice on Monday nights at the same time in different parts of town. At first, it seemed a major problem. But, I'm the type of Mom who's going to be late anyway.  So, this let me off the guilt-hook. With double-booked practices, I had to be late either dropping off or picking up for one or the other. Some nights, it was both and both.   

On Mondays, we'd dash around like crazy. Dinner was often PBJs in a Ziplock (the soccer mom's go-to dinner). The rest of the week was a breeze comparatively. We even had a few normal family dinners during Soccer Season. Really.  

Off-Sides Parenting

For parents, it's a challenge to balance the different gifts each child has been given. You want to say the right thing to encourage the one without discouraging the other.

My daughter started soccer at age 5 in the pee-wee league where they mostly stand around and pick dandelions. During games, there are no goalies and the coaches stand on the field. Because she has an older brother who plays, my daughter has aggression and knows what to do.  During her first game, she was scoring so often, her own Coach Bari started blocking her goals. After the game, Coach Bari recruited my daughter up to her older daughter's team. I checked with my daughter if that would be okay.

"Can I still wear my pink skirt?" she asked. It's non-regulation. Coach agreed and my daughter was traded on her first day.

My son on the other hand is a great passer and runner but doesn't get to score very often (make that never). For one game though, he was in the right place (near the goal) at the right time and he scored. His teammates all ran to him and surrounded him in a circle giving high-fives. My son was so happy. It was one of my proudest parenting moments. And yet my daughter scores 50 goals per game. So we have to find ways to praise equally, measure encouragement and choose the teachable moment. Sideline sitting, like report cards, takes game.

Get Your Head in the Game

Soccer season has a wonderful social aspect. It's the town square of old or the swimming pool of fall. My friend Melissa played soccer in college and understands what's going on out there. One game we were chatting when I looked up to see my son near the goal with the ball.

"Score!" I yelled in the general direction of the field. "Did you see that?" I asked, "He almost scored."

"He's on defense," she said.

Sideline Shouting (the soccer mom's teachable moments) is so crucial. Those kids simply would not know what to do out there without it.

At another game, I felt my daughter was in need of my priceless wisdom and I yelled out to her, "Get tough!"

"I am," she yelled back. The other parents enjoyed this exchange immensely. 

Coming to America, Someday

My husband was debating America's lack of connection with professional soccer with a co-worker from Great Britain. The co-worker bet my husband that our kids could not name soccer players.

My daughter was indignant, when my husband explained this at dinner. Sure she could name players, she said, "Henry, Jerry, Lauren, Inez, Christopher, Caterina," and she continued down her team roster.

It seems America's still sitting the sidelines on that one.