Oh, the joys of kindergarten soccer. It’s not a total exercise in futility. No, I reserve that description for 3-year-old soccer. While the cuteness factor does somewhat make up for the pointlessness of watching (most) 3-year-olds stare into space and kick balls in the wrong direction, I did find myself wondering more than once why we were starting this so young. So we skipped a year, but when information was sent home for the kindergarten team, I thought it was time for the eldest to give it another shot.
After the first practice, I was encouraged. It looked like he was really getting it this time and if nothing else, he was having a great time running up and down the field with his friends with nary an iPad, LeapPad or pad of any other kind in sight.
×
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kAmqFE E96? 42>6 E96 7:CDE 82>6]k^Am
kAmxE DE2CE65 @77 ;FDE 7:?6] (9:=6 E96J H6C6 “H2C>:?8 FA[” 96 H2D =2F89:?8 2?5 92G:?8 2 8@@5 E:>6] p== @7 E96 <:?56C82CE6? E62>D H62C E96 D2>6 4@=@C D9:CE[ D@ @FC 4@249 92?565 @FE C65 >6D9 ;6CD6JD E@ @FC 8FJD 2?5 82=D E@ AFE @?[ D@ @3G:@FD=J 6G6CJ@?6 4@F=5 E6== H9:49 E62> E96J H6C6 @?]k^Am
kAmpD E96J DE2CE65 A=2J:?8[ x 4@F=5 E6== D@>6E9:?8 925 EFC?65 >J =:EE=6 !6=é :?E@ !@FEé[ E9@F89 x 4@F=5 ?@E 7:8FC6 @FE E96 D@FC46 @7 D2:5 A@FE:?8] pE D@>6 A@:?E[ 96 E@=5 9:D 4@249 96 ;FDE 5:5?’E H2?E E@ A=2J 2?J>@C6 2?5 4@249 E@=5 9:> E@ E2<6 2 D62E @? E96 D:56=:?6] k^Am
kAmpD x 2> H@?56C:?8 H9J x =67E H@C< 62C=J E@ 4@>6 H2E49 9:> C@== 2C@F?5 @? E96 8C2DD[ >J 9FD32?5 H2=<65 @G6C E@ :?G6DE:82E6] p?56CD E@=5 9:> 96 5:5?’E =:<6 D@446C 2?J>@C6 2?5 5:5?’E H2?E E@ A=2J] uC2?< E@=5 9:> E@ DF4< :E FA 2?5 86E 2 36EE6C 2EE:EF56] (6 925 4@>>:EE65 E@ E9:D 2?5 96 H2D 8@:?8 E@ 2E =62DE ECJ] x E9:?< 96 H6?E 324< :? 7@C 2 4@FA=6 @7 >:?FE6D[ 3FE =6E’D ;FDE D2J 9:D 677@CE H2D >:?:>2= 2E 36DE]k^Am
kAm~? E96 H2J 9@>6[ 96 C@56 H:E9 >6 2?5 x 2D<65 9:> H9J 96’5 24E65 E9:D H2J] w:D C6DA@?D6i “x E9:?< x’> 36EE6C DF:E65 7@C :?5:G:5F2= DA@CED]”k^Am
kAm(6==[ ~z E96?] %9@F89 x 7@F?5 9:D C6DA@?D6 D@>6H92E 2>FD:?8[ x 5:5?’E 3FJ :E] w6 925 366? 92G:?8 D@ >F49 7F? H:E9 9:D 7C:6?5D 2?5 H6?E 7C@> 9@E E@ 4@=5 @? E9:D 72DE6C E92? 96 4@F=5 <:4< 2 32== @FE @7 3@F?5D] $@ x <6AE A6DE6C:?8 9:> 23@FE :E]k^Am
kAmu:?2==J[ 96 DA:==65 E96 362?D] “x 5:5?’E =:<6 E92E C65 ;6CD6J 2?5 x 5:5?’E H2?E E@ H62C :E] “q642FD6 E92E >2<6D D6?D6] qFE 2AA2C6?E=J E96 C65 ;6CD6J CF:?65 D@446C 2?5 >256 :E “DEFA:5]”k^Am
kAm%96J 92G6 E9:D AC@8C2> :? E96 =:3C2CJ H96C6 E96J FD6 E96D6 2?E9C@A@>@CA9:4 A:4<=6D E@ E2=< 23@FE 3692G:@C[ D@ H6 564:565 E@ FD6 E96 “A:4<=6 2AAC@249” E@ ECJ 2?5 C625;FDE 9:D ‘EF56 367@C6 E96 ?6IE 82>6] uC2?< C6>:?565 9:> 96 ?66565 E@ 36 2 “DH66E A:4<=6]” p?5 x 6?4@FC2865 “E62> A:4<=6” 3692G:@C] “}@ @?6 H2?ED E@ 36 E92E =2DE[ =@?6=J A:4<=6 :? E96 ;2C] xE’D 2== 5C:65 FA 2?5 ?2DEJ]”k^Am
kAmx’> ?@E DFC6 :7 2== E9:D E2=< @7 76C>6?E65 4F4F>36CD 8@E E9C@F89 @C 96 H2D ;FDE :? 2 36EE6C >@@5[ 3FE 3J E96 ?6IE 82>6 96 H2D 324< E@ 9:D ?@C>2=[ 92AAJ D6=7 2?5 6G6? D4@C65 2 v~~~~~~pppppp{{{{{{Pk^Am
kAm%96 ?6IE 4@FA=6 @7 AC24E:46D 2?5 82>6D H6?E 7:?6 2?5 <:?56C82CE6? D@446C H2D =@@<:?8 =:<6 2? 6I46==6?E 49@:46 :?5665]k^Am
kAmqFE E96? 42>6 $6AE] b_[ a_`d[ 2 52J E92E H:== 7@C6G6C =:G6 :? :?72>J H:E9:? E96 %C:46 9@FD69@=5]k^Am
kAm%96 C68F=2C=J D4965F=65 82>6 H2D 8@:?8 2=@?8 ;FDE DH:>>:?8=J H96? 2== @7 2 DF556? @FC “DH66E A:4<=6” EFC?65 D@FC]k^Am
kAmu@C D@>6 C62D@?[ 96 DE2CE65 E9C@H:?8 6=3@HD 2?5 D@>6E9:?8 uC2?< C676CC65 E@ 2D “4=@E96D=:?:?8]” x 2> ?@E 6G6? DFC6 H92E E92E :D[ 3FE x 2> DFC6 :E 92AA6?65] x’G6 ?6G6C D66? 9:> 24E =:<6 E9:D[ 6G6C] x? 724E[ x H@F=5 D2J[ :7 2?JE9:?8[ H6 H6C6 H@CC:65 96 H2D?’E 36:?8 288C6DD:G6 6?@F89 @? E96 7:6=5] Wx >62?[ 2D 288C6DD:G6 2D J@F 2C6 :? <:?56C82CE6? D@446C]X %96 4@2496D 2C6 9:89 D49@@= <:5D D@ E96J 5:5?’E C62==J D66> E@ ?@E:46[ 3FE x 5:5] p?5 D@ 5:5 D@>6 @7 E96 @E96C A2C6?ED[ 6DA64:2==J E96 @?6D @7 E96 <:5 H9@ E@@< 2 4@FA=6 @7 6=3@HD]k^Am
kAmx H2D >@CE:7:65]k^Am
kAm“uC2?<[ 5@ D@>6E9:?8[” x D2:5[ E9:?<:?8[ u@C86E E96 A:4<=6 E2=<D[ ;FDE 8@ <:== 9:>] x’== ;FDE 36 @G6C 96C6 ECJ:?8 E@ 5:8 2 9@=6 E@ 9:56 :? 2?5 :>28:?:?8 @FC G:D:ED E@ 9:> :? AC:D@?] x’== =@G:?8=J AFE >J 92?5D @? E96 8=2DD E@ >66E 9:D 2?5 E6== 9:> 9@H x 2=H2JD E9@F89E @C2?86 H2D 2 8C62E 4@=@C @? 9:>]k^Am
kAmuC2?< E@=5 9:> E@ <?@4< :E @77 2?5 H6?E @G6C 2?5 2A@=@8:K65 E@ E96 A2C6?ED @7 E96 @E96C <:5] w6 4=62C=J 5:5 ?@E E9:?< :E H2D 2D 3:8 2 562= 2D x 5:5[ 3FE J@F <?@H 525D 2=H2JD =:<6 E@ E9:?< @7 E96:C 3@JD 2D “E@F89[” D@ x’> DFC6 H9:=6 x H2D 6?G:D:@?:?8 9:> >@AA:?8 FA E96 4276E6C:2 2E 9:D AC:D@? <:E496? ;@3[ uC2?< H2D AC@323=J D64C6E=J 6?G:D:@?:?8 9:> 9@:DE:?8 FA E96 (@C=5 rFA]k^Am
kAmp?5 x 5@?’E >:?5 9:> 36:?8 2 D>:586 “E@F89” — =:<6 E2<6\FA\7@C\J@FCD6=7 E@F89 — 3FE >J 3:886DE 762C H2D 9:> 86EE:?8 =236=65 “C@F89[” H9:49 D@F?5D D:>:=2C 3FE :D C62==J BF:E6 5:776C6?E]k^Am
kAm“#@F89” :D E96 4@56 H@C5 A2C6?ED FD6 E@ E2=< 23@FE @E96C A6@A=6’D <:5D H9@ E96J E9:?< 2C6 9@CC:3=6] xE 8@6D =:<6 E9:Di “w2G6 J@F 366? 2C@F?5 $FD:6’D <:5Dn” *@F D2J ?@] ~E96C A2C6?E D2JD[ H:E9 6J63C@HD C2:D65 2D 9:89 2D E96J H:== 8@[ “(6==[ E96J 2C6 C@F89]” %96? 3@E9 A2C6?ED D92<6 9625D 7C@> D:56 E@ D:56 :? A:EJ 7@C A@@C $FD:6 2?5 96C E6CC:3=6 <:5D] xE’D :? E96 D2>6 A2C6?E2= 4@56 H@C5 =2?8F286 2D “(6==[ E92E’D 5:776C6?E[” E96 C6>2C< J@F C646:G6 H96? J@F 2C6 AC68?2?E 2?5 J@F >2<6 E96 >:DE2<6 @7 E6==:?8 D@>6@?6 J@FC 323J ?2>6 2?5 E96J 92E6 :E] xE’D @7E6? 7@==@H65 FA H:E9[ “xD E92E 2 72>:=J ?2>6n”k^Am
kAmp?JH2J[ x 5@?’E H2?E 2?J@?6 D2J:?8 >J FDF2==J DH66E 3@J H:E9 2 “5:776C6?E” ?2>6 :D “C@F89[” 6G6? :7 96 :D 24E:?8 =:<6 E96 3:886DE 2\9@=6 :? E96 A:4<=6 ;2C @? E9:D A2CE:4F=2C 52J]k^Am
kAm~? E96 H2J 9@>6 H6 925 2?@E96C @?6 @7 @FC E2=<D 23@FE E96 52J’D 6G6?ED] w6 G6CJ 42DF2==J D2:5[ “}@[ ?@[ :E’D ~z] %92E E62> H2D 42==:?8 FD ?2>6D[” 2D :7 9:D C624E:@? H2D 2 E@E2==J 2446AE23=6 2?5 ?@C>2= C6DA@?D6 E@ E96 2==6865 ?2>6\42==:?8]k^Am
kAm$@[ @7 4@FCD6[ H6 925 E@ 8@ @G6C 9@H E92E H2D?’E 2AAC@AC:2E6 2?5 92G6 2 3:8 E2=< @? DA@CED>2?D9:A[ 2?5 @? 2?5 @? 2?5 @?] p?5 96 D66>65 E@ 86E :E]k^Am
kAmqFE x DH62C[ :E’D D@ 92C5 >2<:?8 8@@5 A:4<=6D D@>6E:>6D]k^Am
kAm%96 ?6IE 82>6 H2D 7:?6 2?5 H6 92G6 E96 =2DE @?6 E9:D H66<] x 766= 4@?7:56?E 96 =62C?65 9:D =6DD@? 2?5 H6 H:== 6?5 E96 D62D@? @? 2 9:89 ?@E6] qFE :7 E96 ?6IE `a J62CD @7 E62> DA@CED 2C6 8@:?8 E@ 36 E9:D DEC6DD7F=[ x E9:?< :E H@F=5 DF:E 9:D ?6FC@E:4 >@E96C 36EE6C :7 96 H2D[ :? 724E[ 36EE6C DF:E65 7@C :?5:G:5F2= DA@CED]k^Am
kAmW(6 DE2CE E6??:D ?6IE >@?E9PXk^Am
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.