Super Star

Last year was a long year as I anxiously awaited the start to the Fall soccer season. As cruel twist of fate, Claire missed the cut off for CESA's U6 program by two weeks. Rules are rules, and you have to be 4 by July 31st to play the entire year. Just ask me, because I know. I sent a check, a filled in application and a copy of a birth certificate for her to play in the Spring season and we were rejected. So finally, we are IN as the oldest rookie in the U6 league.





For the 2nd time this year, we ran out and bought all the goodies - cleats, shin guards and little pink umbro shorts (yeah... she was supposed to get all that for Christmas. Until the reject call came, and it all went back to the store.) It all showed back up for her birthday this year.

Claire's coach is a high school senior gal who is headed to Clemson next year (yay!) and talked the kids into being "The Tigers" for this year's team name (yay again!!) She has 2 other high school sidekicks to help her coach, and all three of them are doing a great job. The practices are very organized and effective (note: see Game 1 results below) and the kids just love it.


After a week of practice, tonight was the first game - a 30 minute game that followed a 30 minute practice. Rules were pretty loose, and they divided the two teams up into 2 mini-teams so there were actually 2 games going on at the same time, and everyone got to play nearly 100% of the time. That makes for an early bedtime for all after running around in 94* heat!




The Tigers did great, and racked up goal after goal. Clearly the dominating 4 and 5 year olds in the league, they owned the pitch with exceptional ball handling skills, give and go's and speedy breakaways. OK... not really, it was really more like a cluster of bee's chasing around the ball, but The Tigers DID score a LOT more goals. Not that we counted. I'm just sayin'.




After the game, the kids charged over to the parents looking for the chosen ones who had a cooler that might contain the after game loot .... It was us! We were stocked with juice boxes and Ritz Bits crackers and the evening was wrapped up. Claire was just tickled that her parents were the snack parents of Game #1.




Red faced and juice box in hand, we headed home to start on dinner, homework, showers and... and... and....