I’m Living The Soccer Mom Dream
My husband has been playing soccer since he was about 4 years old. He is now 35, and he still plays pickup games from time to time. I played soccer from about age 9 to 27 and haven’t touched a ball since.
Soccer was a big deal for both of us. We grew up playing recreationally, in high school, and my husband even played in college for a year.
Needless to say, when we got married and had kids, we hoped they would be interested in the game. Our oldest is 4 and is at the perfect age to start dabbling in sports. She is in a gymnastics class, but her spirit came alive when we put her in soccer this season.
As parents, we want her to learn how to play in a team environment, recreate, and spend some great time outside. As soccer fans, we wanted her to love the game as much as we did. I think both our wishes are coming true.
From the time she put on her pink cleats and grabbed her ladybug soccer ball, our daughter was hooked.
It helps that the objective is clear: score a goal. She asked for some small goals for the backyard so she could “practice scoring goals.” Though this is her favorite part, I’ve most enjoyed seeing her encounter challenges and learn how to deal with losing.
Whenever she loses the ball in a game, or the other team scores, or she scores, she turns to me on the sideline and gives me a little thumbs up. There is no pouting or over celebration. She even high fives the girls on the other team when they score. Needless to say, my soccer-mom heart is melting.
Can sports be time consuming? Yes.
Can they sometimes be over-prioritized? Also yes.
But for our daughter, it’s been an incredible gift. She is quickly learning about sportsmanship, giving max effort, giving yourself grace when you mess up and trying hard the next time, kindness and fellowship with teammates, and the most important lesson of just having fun.
While the competitor in me might feel the tug tell her to to hustle or pick up her head or hit the ball with her laces, the mom in me is loving that her daughter is having fun.
