As you know, I used to play a little soccer in my day. And not to toot my own horn or anything, but I was pretty darn good. So of course after I had kids I dreamed that one day they would be a solid part of a winning team who I would be wildly cheering from the sidelines and reliving the glory years.
Well, Jackson joined the school soccer, excuse me, futbol, team this year. And he is part of a winning team and I am cheering wildly from the sidelines at every game. The problem is my boy is not what you'd call a solid player. The first game of the season he kind of kicked it the wrong way. More than once. Of course this is his first year and he is the youngest one on the team and this IS Mexico, so I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Plus his coach coaches in Spanish, so that is one more difficulty for him to overcome. He does play the whole game, every game and he is a very fast runner, he's just not very aggressive. At all. Like another player with the ball might be right in front of him and he will wait for one of his teammates to try to get it. The aggressiveness may come in time or it may not. I might have to live with the fact Jackson might not even be into soccer. Right now he wants to be Troy from High School Musical, so he's asking to play basketball. And after the season is over if he decides he's not interested in playing soccer again that will be fine.
What I am proud of and have seen him display it every Sunday on the field is his great sense of sportsmanship. He is ALWAYS the first one to run over and high five one of his teammates that made a goal. I've seen him walk with his arm slung across another players shoulders as they headed back after a goal. He is concerned for players that have fallen and gotten hurt and helps them up while the rest of the boys are fighting over the ball halfway down the field. And the best? Today after every goal (6 of them...none by him) he ran around that darn field like a world cup player celebrating. I saw running with hands spread in the air to the crowd, cartwheels, and fist pumps. That's what I call team spirit! He didn't even make a single defining play and yet he was celebrating like it was a championship game and he made the winning goal. And seeing that makes me proud no matter what direction he's kicking it on the field.
*I forgot the camera in the car today, therefore no photos of the celebrating. I'll try again next weekend*
3 comments:
ahhh, that's adorable! I played soccer when I was like 8. Hated it and sat at the end by the goal and picked flowers...so I guess he's doing better than I did :)
E, don't feel too bad. Casey played flag football and there were two times he got the ball and ran the wrong way! He's much better on defense (and he's pretty good and goofing around too).
I'll back up your comment on being a pretty good soccer player back in your day. You were.
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