I previously worried that my darling daughter would feel left out because all the other kids on the team already knew each other. Now I fear that my child might become one of them. Not that they don't seem like nice girls, it is just that the other girls seem like soccer players. Not girls who play soccer. Soccer players that happen to be girls. Their moms looked like they could personally take the field at any moment. The older sisters and brothers hanging around the field were clearly also soccer players.
And the coach...
The first game the girls played in this spring league they beat the other team 13 to 1. One of the league officials visited the coach to make sure he knew that "this wasn't the kind of a league where we run up the score on the opposite team". Our coach told the official that it wasn't his girls scoring, it was the other team knocking the ball into their own goal. Funny, but not truthful. Nor did the coach ever suggest to our girls that they should let up a little.
The coach also let me know that the girls on his team play together year round...Spring league, Summer league, Fall league and apparently 2 Winter indoor leagues where they play "up" against the older kids.
I just wanted to sign my daughter up for a sport. I didn't want to commit to a lifetime. I thought "maybe if it goes well she can play in the fall too". Arena indoor soccer against the big kids never crossed my mind.
There is something entirely seductive, though, about putting her on a team that is clearly going to win, win, win. She will excel at soccer if she stays on this team. The coach accepts nothing less (and it appears already that this talent may be within her...thinks her mom who is clearly biased). But will she know that winning at soccer isn't everything? This coach has taught the other girls to have GAME and they seem to really enjoy playing for him. Will it be the right experience for my sweet girl?
Oh, and one more thing...
I think "Coach" on Survivor is so icky that he might be putting a bad taste in my mouth about the entire game of soccer. So icky.
All 5 of my nieces play, most of them year-round and both indoor and outdoor. I love soccer though so the 'cult' makes sense to me. Sydney looks adorable btw.
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