Scotty's Soccer Season

After having an absolute blast at soccer summer camp this year, Scotty knew he wanted to play on a team this fall. So we signed him up. For a nerve-wracking minute, Aaron and I thought we might have to be the coaches due to lack of parent volunteers. We (especially me) know nothing about soccer, and I was going to feel sorry for the kids stuck on our team. Instead, we found out we weren't needed, and Scotty ended up with two awesome coaches and an awesome team. 

I also found myself feeling quite invested and competitive about what was happening on the field. I had to rein in my emotions a few times and remember it is just a game! I think I succeeded, but it took effort. The games were fun to watch. And I get it now! I get why people like soccer! 

It was interesting to watch Scotty play a sport. His coach was really good about giving equal playing time and let everyone try every position. And Scotty tried really hard to listen to everything we or the coaches told him to do, but sometimes he took the advice to an extreme. Or he would assume that one piece of new advice cancelled out all of the other advice. It gave me a little view into how his brain works. He takes things very literally. Also, he really liked (and was good at) being a defender. He understood that. Thinking like an attacker was harder for him. He did make three goals early in the season, but then it seemed like he started thinking too hard about what to do, and he actually got less aggressive/confident when he played in the attacker position. I think that may be something he struggles with in life--overthinking things.  

This was a co-ed team, and I really liked watching two of the girls on the team. They were so fast and so good, and I loved watching them succeed, especially against bigger boys. Made my feminist heart happy. But my feminist heart is also happy that they will get their own league one day, one they won't have to share with males. Hopefully! We've gotta save girls' sports and keep them truly, biologically single-sex!