Team Player

This fall Jax is playing soccer.  Let me preface this post with a little side note...I secretly loathe soccer.  I played one or two seasons when I was a kid.  Mostly I was on a team and stood on the sidelines waiting to eat oranges at halftime, but nonetheless, I was on a team.  I never grasped the whole full back, half back thing...that is football terminology...and by football I mean Go Vols (substitute your own team name here).  I also could never comprehend why I would want to run up and down the field, chasing a ball, only to reach the desired destination and have the some gung ho crazy on the other team kick it out from under me while kicking me in the shins at the same time. If I'm going to run up and down the field like that, there had better be scores greater than 1-0, some good tackles and doughnuts after the game.  I'm just being honest.  I loathe soccer.

BUT, my sweet hubby was stationed in England when he was in the Air Force and he played soccer growing up and he enjoys it.  Not 'go to a game' enjoys it, but 'will watch it on TV if he can't find anything else in 500 channels'.  (I would turn of the TV or watch an infomercial for exercise equipment first!)  So, when Jax started asking to wear jerseys all the time and wanting to play sports with his Daddy or Granddaddy all the time, soccer was our sport of choice. It's a reasonable way for him to experience team sports, get a little exercise and he's not as likely to get a concussion or other severe injury.

So, Jax is playing soccer this fall.  We made a big tadoo out of getting him all geared up.  We went to Dick's sporting goods on the Redoubt Soccer Saturday.  

We tried on cleats until we found just the right size in red and black.  Jax would have no other colors!

Then we went home and put it all on with his Titans jersey because we hadn't gotten his team jersey yet.

Then, because he's four and has the attention span of a gnat, he dressed up like Spiderman and pushed Hoss around in a laundry basket.

So last Saturday it was off to soccer, in the rain.  Let me tell you how excited I was.  But Jax could hardly bear waiting til game time and I began to catch a little of his enthusiasm.  We got there and got his jersey.  He got the number he wanted, number 10.  We're not sure why, but he picked it.  I sat in the car with Hoss because of the rain, but we were able to park right by the field last week.  Jax had a BLAST!!

They practice for 30 minutes then play a little 3 on 3 game for 30 minutes.  It's really adorable.  Jax is a little aggressive.  See this kid on the ground?  See the white number 10 jersey leaving the scene of the accident?

The first time little yellow number 7 ran into Jax, they both fell down.  The second time he approached Jax, Jax shoved him out of the way and little yellow number 7 fell.  The third time, Jax grabbed two handfulls of yellow jersey number 7 from behind and flung him out of his way.  Jax is, uummm, a little controlling and competitive.  I have no idea where he gets it.  We're working on it.  

This week, the weather was gorgeous, though a little warmer in the full sun than I planned for. 

 Once again Jax had a blast.

He didn't tackle, fling or clobber anyone this week, although one little girl on his team had a little trouble with the net.

And although there are no tackles, hail mary passes or nail biting 4th quarters in under 6 soccer, there are some precious pile ons as the kids get hot and begin to wear down.

Jax is enjoying the time with his Dad, and Vince is loving living a little vicariously through Jax.

And me, well, I'm beginning to not hate soccer, and I adore my little soccer player.