Spring Soccer 2012

Anna has been asking for a while to play soccer.  Our city does Tot Soccer and we thought we would try it out.  It was fun for Anna to be on the same team as Korver and Matt (two boys in our ward).  Korver's dad was the coach and Devin "helped" coach.  

I am glad that we tried soccer out at this age, and for the cheap price, because it was quite the learning experience for Anna.  

She loves to kick the ball around.

She loved playing with her friends.

She even loved the whole concept of the game, line up, kick it down the field, try and kick it in the goal.

But there was one big problem.  Anna, like her mother, doesn't deal well with chaos.  And Tot Soccer is nothing but chaos with an occasional goal.  We were really excited when we made it through a game without Anna crying.  We worried.  We didn't want to push her.  But after it was all over, she always talked about how much she LOVES playing soccer.  It was one of those great growing moments for us as parents.  To help your kid do something hard.  I am grateful for a very patient coach who, for many games, just let Anna "hang out" on the field with him.  I am so proud of Anna.  She went from being a train wreck if the ball came towards her, to staying as far away from the ball as possible, to doing her best to keep up with the chaos and actually try to kick a goal.  Her very last game was the best.  The coach was really trying to make sure every kid had a chance to kick a goal.  Anna did awesome.  She was kicking it all the way down the field and she really did almost make a goal.  But I could tell that as the other team was getting closer and closer that she was starting to loose it.   She cried, and just could figure out why the other team just wouldn't leave her alone so she could score a goal.  

It was a great learning experience for all of us.  I LOVED hanging out with Heather, Korver's mom each week at games and practices.  Here are a few other random soccer pictures.  The first one is my all time favorite.

She was pretty excited to get a medal.  Not to mention she loves wearing her "Go Blue Tiger" shirt.  

Are we going to sign her up for fall soccer????  I don't know.  We shall see.