Another soccer season has come and gone...

This youth soccer season nearly didn't happen at all for the Steers family, as I was a bit distracted during the sign-up period.  I kept thinking that I would just get online and register, but things kept coming up: moving out of our house, staying with friends, leaving my job, giving birth, little things... We ended up missing open registration completely, but fortunately for us our new neighbors know just about everyone in town, and they just so happened to know the league's registrar. They were able to pull some strings to get our boys on an U-8 team together (a feat in itself as the team was already full and we needed Koen to "play up"), but there was a catch: the team needed an assistant coach. Kirk rose to the occasion, I agreed to help out as team mom, and we were in business.  

Their team was called "The Original Ninjas," and we all ended up finding some great friends amongst their teammates and their parents. As always, to watch the boys play was a combination of overwhelming pride, sheer entertainment and exquisite frustration. 

Considering that he was playing with and against boys 1 to 2 years older than him, Koen did a remarkable job of holding his own. There was lots of tumbling and some "injuries," as would be expected, but he was always positive and willing to play (a vast improvement over seasons past). Kirk was in constant fear of Ko being hit in the face with the ball; my main concern was that he remember to wear his "cheap" glasses to practice and games. 

Dillon continued to astonish us this season, getting faster, stronger and more aggressive. Somehow, it hasn't yet occurred to him to be angry when he loses, so he's still a pleasure to deal with on the field. (Of course, in any game at home he is a nightmare when he loses, so it's nice that he has maintained sportsmanship in soccer, at least.) He was one of his team's top scorers despite taking lots of spills, and in always theatrical style. He  also had the pleasure of playing on a team with some of his long-time friends from our old neighborhood. They were a bit short-handed for some games, so he "played up" on their U-9 team, "The Force," and had a wonderful time. Last weekend, he also had the honor of playing in the U-8 "All-Star" game.  It is always a nerve-wracking experience to watch one's child be coached by someone who doesn't know that child's areas of strength or weakness, so it was a challenging game for Kirk and me. Dillon loved it, however, and he ended up making the only goal for his team, leaving the final score tied.

As of this writing, we're not sure what the off-season holds for us. Dillon may go play occasionally on some friends' indoor soccer team, both boys are going to be playing basketball after the new year, and I keep hassling them to take a hip hop dance class. It's a challenge not to over-schedule ourselves, but they do seem to be like both of their parents and thrive on activity.  As long as they're happy, trying their hardest, and enjoying themselves, Kirk and I are happy to squire them from practice to practice, from game to game. I admit, though, I look forward to the day when a clear favorite activity emerges and we can devote our time and energy to just that endeavor. I know at least one of the Steers parents dearly hopes that the favorite ends up being soccer.