Soccer 2014

Anyone who knows me well is aware of my strange relationship with soccer. It is, by far, my favorite game, yet I really do not follow any of the major leagues. I played it for years growing up. I was good enough to make the local traveling and high school team, but not good enough to actually play. I played in the adult league in my 20's and 30's and really learned the game for the first time in my life. I must be a late bloomer.  I coached with a friend at the high school level and managed to win 3 state championships in 4 years. Go figure. Now Sam and Nate play, and they are really starting to get good. After a brief hiatus from the game last spring in order to try their hand at baseball, the boys wanted to return to soccer this fall. My philosophy as a soccer dad has always been to let them play as long as they want, but not to push too hard and let them develop on their own. Well, this year the game of soccer finally seemed to click for both boys. For the first time, they were eager to jump right into the game and challenge the other players. Both boys scored goals, and they were both really good defenders. Sam has always been pretty good at soccer, but Nate showed a lot of improvement. He was more focused and assertive, and he discovered something about himself in the process: he's fast. Very fast! Gina and I were proud of they way they played this season, and the games were a lot of fun to watch.

Here are some pictures from the season. We are looking forward to another season this spring, when the boys will join a different league closer to our house.