My granddaughter Natalie is in a girl soccer team. They are all beginners and its alot of fun. They played every Saturday morning, the whole town was involved. The truth is, there was no winner at this stage, just the girls learning how to kick and handle the ball, trying to get a goal. No score keeping. The coaches are all very nice and they make sure that every girl get at least two goals in a game, to know how good it feels. I would try to see as many games as I could and sometimes my mom and friend Dale would come too.
The morning would start out very good. Natalie would be all excited about seeing her friends and was happy to see and hear us cheering all during practice. She would stop to wave at us and throw kisses. Run over for some water and wait patiently for the snacks that would be handed out after the game. She would be all smiles!
After a half hour of practice, all the balls but one are taken off the field. The game has begun. Natalie would start out running after the ball, but after she realized she lost it, she would slowly wind down, moving slower and slower. Play after play until she found herself lying on the grass looking for a unicorn in the clouds.
One Saturday, I thought my mother was going to fall off her chair, she was laughing that hard. We were calling Natalie to get back on the field – when suddenly it seemed she fell asleep.
I can’t wait for next season.
ls