Soccer Season 2013

This was Lola’s 3rd season (Shooting Stars, Pink Thunder, Green Starz) and Oliver’s 2nd (Stingrays, Rockets). By most measures it was a success. The kids had fun, they exercised, hopefully they learned a few things about team sports.I especially had an interesting experience as Oliver’s coach. I didn’t set out to be Coach Tom, but when the coaching coordinator called and said they needed one or the team might be dissolved, I was happy to step in. It started out as lots of fun. It’s not really an age group where one needs to know a lot about the game or coaching. I also had some opinions about coaching from watching Lola and Oliver over the last few years. It seemed to me that the several of their coaches were trying to teach them aspects of the game that were way beyond their abilities or comprehension. I think they assumed the kids had a knowledge about the very basics of the game that they do not. For example, what to do and which direction to go when they get the ball. As adults, we just know. But U6 players definitely do not. So anyways, my goal in coaching was to just let them get accustomed to the game. I didn’t teach the triangle or fancy pass plays. Just kick the damned ball in the general direction!The Rosemont Soccer Club also made a switch for U6 kids to micro soccer, which was fantastic. They play 3-on-3, no goalie, a small goal, and a half-sized field. No one keeps an official score and each team scores about 20 times.However. Despite all that, by the end of the season, the kids and I were over it. Trying to wrangle seven kids (which was at least one too many) was a nightmare. I cannot get my two kids to listen to me, trying to get five more to was crazy.Lola’s third team in as many years was pretty solid. The coach has been at it for many years. He is patient and positive. He was always very encouraging of Lola. In fact, he dubbed her his “Most Improved Player” at the trophy ceremony. It was very sweet. The problem though is that Lola is not a very good player. She’s just too timid and she’s in (and moving up into) an age group where the girls are more aggressive and skilled and she just doesn’t have that “fire.” (Oliver, by contrast, flipped a switch this year. He was one of my two star players. Except near the end when he started to sandbag it along with the rest of the team, he was on the ball every time he got in the game and scored a lot of points.) Coach Scott says just to be patient, she’ll get it eventually. And even though it’s a little painful to watch her sometimes, we are fine with that. She still enjoys practice and games so we’re going to keep with it until she says she’s done.Next Oliver moves up to U8 and Lola moves into U10.Here are some pictorial highlights of the season.