Soccer Time

This is our second year playing AYSO Soccer and our boys love it.  

Last year my middle son wasn't on a "team" per se.  He was in the U05 league and it was done in a jamboree style of game.  Whoever showed up was split up into teams that day and then they practiced and played together and then the next week they were split up into different teams.

Last year my oldest child was in the U08 league and he had his own team.  He ended up having practices once a week as well as games on the weekends.  His coaches were really nice but by about midway through the Fall season (AYSO plays Fall and Spring Seasons) the coaches realized that their work schedules (one was a UPS driver and one worked construction) wasn't real convienent for a weeknight practice and some weeknight games.  SO my wonderful husband volunteered to "run" practices and be there as a "BACK-UP" if they couldn't make it to any games.  Well as shocking as this is for some people to believe ;-) my husband ended up being the full time coach by Spring season with one of the coaches hanging on to help on the weekends.  

Well when time came to register for this year's season my boys still wanted to play and my husband decided he would actually sign up to be the coach of my oldest's team.  So with that the question was posed to me...."Mom, since Dad is being brother's coach will you coach my team?"  And of course I couldn't say no.  Thank GOODNESS the U06 league doesn't need to have weeknight practices, since I work in the evenings, and we only practice right before our game.

So now with all that explaining I did.....here are some pictures of our first weekend out playing soccer.  (This actually was last month but I'm a little slow with my posts right now!)

my oldest is right in the center of that group of red trying to stop a goal

That's my boy...running to help his teammates

He loves doing Throw-Ins

Going for it!

Some of the things I LOVE about these pictures....it shows how much he has grown in this soccer playing.  Last year he wasn't as aggressive in this soccer playing.  He didn't necessarily go after the ball as  much as he does now.  And of course I think this is one of the reasons why he still likes it.  He is not only improving but enjoying it while he improves.

Mine is #10 - right in the middle of it all

Going for it again

Can you guess where #10 is again....

The ball is free and he's going for it...RUN!!

Getting that ball again

After the game....coach and player look like they are tired!

I went into this season knowing ALMOST NOTHING about soccer.  I had watched about 10 games last year and that was about my exposure to the sport except the one game of my nephew's I watched 5 years ago.  The great thing with AYSO is they offer all kinds of training for FREE so I did have a little training before the season started.  So not only am I learning as a coach but I'm able to be learning as a mom and if we continue with this I will continue to learn.