I haven't been doing a very good job at keeping up on giving soccer match or practice reports but that doesn't mean I haven't been thinking about them. To recap: Ruby is in the Under 6 Youth Development League, and Alice is in the 3 and Under Pre-Fun Soccer. Two entirely different beasts, and I mean beasts, to deal with but the threads from each woven together does create and interesting tapestry in the colors of soccer, coaching, friendship, and youth development.
White Lightning:
Overall: This team has been a real head scratcher this year. We lost our most highly skilled player but gained the ability to have more girls touch the ball and participate. In turn we lost our chief goal scorer but now other girls are scoring and gaining confidence.
Skills: We can pass, dribble, defend our goal, shoot the ball in the air, do the occational pull back or step-over which also leads to the inevitable ball surf: sliding over the ball and falling on your butt.
Games: We have seen a gradual progression from game one to now game three. We have lost all three which is killing me inside but I have to let that go. I have made each girl a sheet after the game that I email to their parents before our next practice with: 1. Things I did great 2. Things I need to work on 3. Homework for next week. The parents seem to like it and I hope the kids do as well.
Practices: They have been doing a great job in practice. Everyone has been coming consistently, the kids generally get along but things have been getting testier. Now that everyone understands and grasps winning and losing, scoring and being scored on, they want to win and some, like Ruby, want to win at everything.
Dangers: The kids are getting the ball in the air and kicking harder at every practice. I had my first kid get nailed in the check with an absolute bomb. Both girls were in tears. I felt bad but they are realizing that this happens. The elbows, shirt pulls, and running into each other is happening with more regularity and I need to work hard to correct this but I like aggression teetering on the edge of violence. Even for six year olds!
Orange Alligators:
Overall: This has been a learning experience for me. The main experience being I'm glad I have girls of my own and not boys. Damn they don't listen like the all girl team. They are running around, kicking the ball, scoring goals, generally being unpredictable and wild. The two girls on the team are certainly on the defensive and Alice is learning that no one will just give her the ball because it's her turn. Understanding that when the game is played for real you don't get a turn, you make your turn.
Skills: Understand that you have to score goals and not let goals go in our goal. Dribbling is coming along, kicking is getting better, passing is non-existent.
Games: We have won them all (we don't keep score...sure we don't). Only two kids really want to be out there the whole time and one of them is not Alice. That is a challenge. Getting them to come on the field and play. I have never had the problem with my all girl team.
Practices: Come on they are 3 we don't have practices. Alice kicks the ball with Ruby almost daily.
Dangers: Falling down, not getting a snack, getting stuck in the net.
I could go on but I want to leave you with a video of Ruby scoring a goal. I like to brag.
White Lightning:
Overall: This team has been a real head scratcher this year. We lost our most highly skilled player but gained the ability to have more girls touch the ball and participate. In turn we lost our chief goal scorer but now other girls are scoring and gaining confidence.
Skills: We can pass, dribble, defend our goal, shoot the ball in the air, do the occational pull back or step-over which also leads to the inevitable ball surf: sliding over the ball and falling on your butt.
Games: We have seen a gradual progression from game one to now game three. We have lost all three which is killing me inside but I have to let that go. I have made each girl a sheet after the game that I email to their parents before our next practice with: 1. Things I did great 2. Things I need to work on 3. Homework for next week. The parents seem to like it and I hope the kids do as well.
Practices: They have been doing a great job in practice. Everyone has been coming consistently, the kids generally get along but things have been getting testier. Now that everyone understands and grasps winning and losing, scoring and being scored on, they want to win and some, like Ruby, want to win at everything.
Dangers: The kids are getting the ball in the air and kicking harder at every practice. I had my first kid get nailed in the check with an absolute bomb. Both girls were in tears. I felt bad but they are realizing that this happens. The elbows, shirt pulls, and running into each other is happening with more regularity and I need to work hard to correct this but I like aggression teetering on the edge of violence. Even for six year olds!
Orange Alligators:
Overall: This has been a learning experience for me. The main experience being I'm glad I have girls of my own and not boys. Damn they don't listen like the all girl team. They are running around, kicking the ball, scoring goals, generally being unpredictable and wild. The two girls on the team are certainly on the defensive and Alice is learning that no one will just give her the ball because it's her turn. Understanding that when the game is played for real you don't get a turn, you make your turn.
Skills: Understand that you have to score goals and not let goals go in our goal. Dribbling is coming along, kicking is getting better, passing is non-existent.
Games: We have won them all (we don't keep score...sure we don't). Only two kids really want to be out there the whole time and one of them is not Alice. That is a challenge. Getting them to come on the field and play. I have never had the problem with my all girl team.
Practices: Come on they are 3 we don't have practices. Alice kicks the ball with Ruby almost daily.
Dangers: Falling down, not getting a snack, getting stuck in the net.
I could go on but I want to leave you with a video of Ruby scoring a goal. I like to brag.
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