Soccer Drama

Well today was quite the adventure with Skylee's soccer. Yes, she is four and it is a little young to start soccer (granted we did do it last year), but I thought she would be more ready this year... after today not so sure. I am utterly exhausted after her first practice and game. (It didn't really help that I left SLC at 5:00 this morning and drove straight to St. George, went shopping for cleats and headed to the game but this isn't about me...) 

    SO. I guess I should defend Skylee first because yesterday was a long day for her I took her to my sister, Teona's, in Cedar to play all day while I headed up north. Greg (Jeff' bro) picked her up that evening and took her to Nana's where she spent the night. So she was pretty exhausted.

   OK, back to the game. The practice went okay she was a little whiney and clingy but practiced okay. Game started - first five minutes were awesome I was so excited she was playing like a champ- dribbling down the field, stealing the ball from other players, just being super aggressive. So I thought sweet! This is going to be a great season (much better than her ups and downs of last). Yeah... not so much.

       She started to get frustrated because she couldn't make a goal. So she started crying and getting frustrated. So they had a quarter got a drink, I gave her a  little pep talk and sent her back out. She did okay again then would get frustrated. I forgot to mention that there are only three girls on her team and one of them refused to play she cried the whole time so it was two on three the whole time. After half time Skylee got out there and did this amazing run down the field everyone was amazed cuz she is a head smaller than anyone out there but she was a champ and right before the goal another girl kicked it away from her. That was the LAST straw. She was ticked and done! She started sobbing and that was the end of that. She continued to cry the rest of the game. Let me tell you I tried everything to get her head back in that game to no avail. I tried bribery, I tried standing on the field with her, I tried holding her hand, I tried physically running and placing her in front of the ball... Yeah, nothing! So our team was pretty much a mess the whole last half. Looking back it is kind of humorous but really at the time I was so tired from lack of sleep and traveling I was just doing everything I could to stay patient with the girl. I asked her what was wrong and she told me she couldn't make a goal she was so mad at herself and she couldn't stop the other team. Poor thing she was putting so much pressure on her little 4 year old self. (Sounds a lot like her mother). I tried to explain I don't care I just want her to have fun but no, she wanted a goal. 

   

   It was a little humorous when she was defending her goal and she picked up the ball placed it in front of the net and kicked it in. Everyone cheered- she got her goal and no one was going to tell her it was for the other team. Afterwards she was excited to tell her Nana she got a goal... oh well. 

     SO, that being said it was hot and tiring and on the way home she said she had fun. She also told me she didn't want to play soccer anymore (Great since i have signed her up for this season AND next and I didn't raise no quitter... right?). She also told me she didn't want to be on the blue team anymore she wanted to be on the yellow team (last year's team) cuz she was better on that team. Wow, I am exhausted. I forgot the drama of last year. She has asked to be in soccer for forever and now that we're here... wow. Hopefully next week will be better... if not... Not sure what I will do.