One of the things that my kids were excited about moving into town for was to play sports. Adia has been involved in dance for several years, but Ethan hasn't really found anything that he loves. He tried wrestling last year, but that is not the sport for someone who gets sensory overload easily, plus some of the moms were crazy ladies and made for some intensely uncomfortable situations... Anyway, we were looking for something different. On the very first day of school our dreams came true. We even got choices. Football, Soccer, and Ballet. Adia chose... Nothing. She was burned last year by a dance teacher who didn't keep her word, and so she opted out of any sport for the time being. Ethan was up in the air about football or soccer (he opted out of ballet all on his own:) He was considering this huge, important choice and decided to go to the park to "think it through." About an hour later he crashed through the door with his mind all made up. Evidently two angels disguised as "big boys" (I went and met them later, they were probably late 20s, but whatever:) were kicking a soccer ball around and invited him to play. They taught him a few moves and he was hooked. They even gave him their soccer ball when they left, which was SO NICE! (And can I just take a second here to appreciate positive male role models who make a difference without even knowing it? Bless men like that. Bless their moms too. And before I cry, lets get back on subject.:)
So he chose soccer, which was FINE by me. First of all some of the football moms are a lot like the wrestling moms - CRAZY! Plus Soccer cost $50 less than football, nice! And they only practiced two times a week, one of which was on Saturday - great for a little guy who takes twice as long as everyone else to get his homework done. And so he started, and then we figured out the REAL reasons that soccer is better than football. (for us anyway, I realize that this is different for everyone, and I really do like football. Especially the Soup or Snack Bowl - which is what Adia calls the Super Bowl - you can tell by the name why like it so much:)
We LOVED LOVED the coach. She was so great, she recognized every players strength and used it to make them into an important member of the team. She was patent and kind... and a really good player, which, lets face it, is nice. The kids on the team were great too. They all cared about each other's feelings and didn't get mad if someone made a mistake. They cheered each other on, and were really good sports toward the other teams too. They were exceptional kids, and I love that. Also, it was a city league, so they only played in town unlike football, that had to travel. Not that it matters that much, but to a busy single mom it kinda does. And finally, every player got to play the ENTIRE game. No one was benched because they were crappy. No taking turns, no waiting on the sidelines. It made MR. ADHD so happy, and gave him a lot of experience that helped him improve a lot.
All in all it was a phenomenal experience. Ethan had tons of fun and actually turned out to be a pretty good player (once they told him he wasn't aloud to use his hands...:) It gave him tons of confidence, and helped him make friends at his new school too.
Unfortunately all of his games were on Tuesday. Last Spring, when I registered for the classes I would be taking this semester I worked REALLY hard to get my schedule arranged so that I would only have to be away from my kids for one night. Yep, it was Tuesdays. Normally that wouldn't have made much of a difference, you can generally miss a few classes without it making a big deal. BUT... My practice class which is right during the time Ethan played, is very strict. She said missing even one class without a GOOD excuse (like car accident, hospital stay, giving birth) would effect our grade. She also said that in the 10 years she has taught the class she has only given out 3 A's so already I was worried, and didn't feel like I could afford to miss at all. I went a long time not going to a game and feeling like the worst mother in the world until finally I couldn't take it any more. I skipped class and went to a game. (When I explained why later the professor agreed that an FAS kid playing a sport was just as important as giving birth, and gave me a pass... once) So that was a long explanation for why there aren't a lot of pictures. The end.
And Adia decided that she couldn't be left out of EVERYTHING, so she appointed herself official team cheerleader. (and made herself that goofy headpiece our of a tree branch she found at the park, a ribbon, and a LOT of hot glue... not sure, don't ask)
And I have to add just how wonderful my sweet mom was to take Ethan to every game and support him. I seriously don't know what we are going to do when we move...
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