My Heros

Soph and Al

Today I sat in the warm sun watching Sophia and Alison play soccer.  

What a gift this September is.  It more than makes up for the crummy, rainy June we had.  To see the girls play soccer is just a huge bonus.  Thank you God.  

Ali’s team is no longer ‘Fire Dragons”, or “Dragon Fire” or whatever it was.  It’s “Lygers” or maybe “Ligers.  Snappy and much easier to yell.  Also they are very rare.  Don’t tell the team they’re impotent when they do come along.  The team is rough and ready to score, though they are a little bedraggled towards the end of the second twenty-minute half.

I’m pleased to say that both girls get into the fray.  I was worried they’d hang back, but no.  They like to get into the pack, which is definitely what you call the team positioning.  At this age, there are no positions.  There are those who hang back and those who are in the bunch.  Ali is in the five-year-olds and they don’t even have a goalie.  The Lygers won 9 to 2 today.  They might be named the “Marauders” next week.  

Sophia’s team remains the “White Dragons”.  A quiet dignity which bespeaks their 1 to zip loss today and their 1 to 1 tie at their last game of play.  I think, though, she’d rather win.  

But what makes it all really beautiful, though, is that the girls seemed to just really enjoyed playing.  Running, breathing, kicking the ball, laughing, throwing grass, wearing uniforms, eating oranges and having fun with friends.  Here’s my hope:  that they never stop having fun and enjoying themselves just like that in some form or another. The points?  They really aren’t that important after all.