Here

He is out on the field with his new team. The A team. The team he was moved up to this year. The team that was ranked number one in the top bracket of boys U9 travel soccer teams in this area. The competition is fierce. Everyone at this level wants to win.

He was a leader on his old team. He had unending confidence in his abilities.

Here, he doubts himself. You can see it in his play. On his face.

Here, he is wondering where he fits in.

As he told me yesterday, here, he feels the need to impress someone. I asked him whom he needed to impress. He is not sure. But, he feels the pressure still.

On this team, the boys will turn on each other for errors.

He misses a defensive opportunity.

Damn.

He is off his game today.

His little round face. It looks over to me on the sideline. Reassurance?

He looks little and big all at the same time. It’s what eight and a half looks like. That place right in between.

I want to yell that it’s just a game. Something to be played for fun. But, I know how important it is to him. How hard he works. How much he loves it.

He is a good athlete. He will settle in eventually.

It’s one of those hard moments when there is little we can do as parents to secure them any more. He is out in the world now. He has to face his successes and his failures. But, as his mother, it is hard to see him out there struggling. Trying.

The season has just started. There is plenty of time to adjust.

His life has just started. And there are many mountains ahead of him.

The Uniform

Yesterday was all about B.  First off, he has been attending his soccer team camp all week.  This is the first event of the year for them.  It is his first season playing on a travel team.  And he is extremely excited! 

So, their uniforms were distributed yesterday.  For the price of one kidney, you received 2 jerseys, 3 pairs of socks, 2 pairs of shorts, 2 t-shirts and a rain jacket.  This loot was all packaged beautifully in a plastic garbage bag with his name on it.  You would have thought I handed him the Holy Grail.  The look on his face was priceless.  (Well, actually, it did cost that small kidney…)  This child has been asking since we found out he made the team, back in May, when the uniforms would be coming.  

Last night and then again this morning, he has worn them around the house.  Right now, he is modeling this season’s rain jacket.  All of this excitement regarding the uniform makes me wonder if that is the primary reason he wanted to play for this team. 

His father and I have enrolled him in sports in hopes of fostering a sense of team.  We wanted him to get some physical activity.  And above all else, so that he can learn the value that hard work is often directly tied to the amount of success he’ll have in life.  The more you put in, the more you get out.  Not to mention, hoping he’ll learn the difficult lesson that sometimes you’re going to lose.  And that’s OK- as long as you get back up and try harder next time.  A lesson we think is all but erased from today’s modern parenting styles. 

So, with all of our grand ideals for B and his sports career at age 7, I think it comes down to this… 

Those are some really cool uniforms.