Yay! We Love Soccer!

(42 Months)

We just had our first soccer practice and game.  It is so much fun!  Our team ranges with kids that are newly turned threes to four and a halves.  I read on a blog that signing kids of this age up for sports is a waste of time and money.  She went on to say that they just run around and no "real" skills are developed in this form of organized recreational play.  We only had our one practice and game so far, but I can already see that there are real skills being learned and reinforced:

• waiting your turn (patience)
• lining up when called and working on drills (following directions and listening skills)
• tracking the ball with your eyes while running after it (gross motor skills)
• compassion (we saw a little one help up a teammate that fell)
• teamspirit (clapping when a goal was scored)
• communication skills

We signed Little Miss and Wild One up with the anticipation that Wild One would LOVE the physicality of it, whereas we knew that there was a good chance Little Miss wouldn't even step onto the field (she is so painfully shy sometimes, even with family that she sees at least twice a month she shies away).  Boy, were we wrong about her!  From the moment she stepped onto the field, she was eager and ready to play.  Little Miss shed her shyness and went to talk to the other two girls on her team.  During one of the lineups, the boy next to her was dancing, and Little Miss started dancing with him!  My shy little girl, went onto the field and had a great time.  She did come over three times during the game.  Once she asked to have "a short one", she needed to have a moment another time, and the last time was for a drink break.  We realized that we forgot to explain to the kids, that during a game and practices they aren't supposed to leave the field unless the coach tells them to.  

Wild One loved running after the ball!  He even started acting like the coach, directing everyone (as if he was putting on one of his shows that he does for us at home).  He was even fascinated with how well his shin guards worked, "Mommy!  I got kicked and it didn't even hurt!" This is his element: sports, running, performing.  He loved it.  We knew he would.  He loves sports, he loves being active.  

The hour went by very fast, especially for the grown-ups.  We were all laughing so hard, watching as our kids looked around aimlessly for the ball, only to discover it was right by their feet.  Or as two little kids were holding hands and skipping through the field.  Or when they would just run around in circles trying to figure out which way to go.  Or when they would line up on the wrong side (that was our two- it happened twice).  

So verdict?  I think you can tell.  For our two kids, organized recreational sports is a fun way of learning and making new friends.