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What is Life Without Goals?

02/16/2017, 10:00am CST
By Rene`e Stovall

What can soccer DO for my child?

My child has yet to make a soccer goal, yet he is making and passing on the goals we have set for him as parents. And what is life without goals?

Last year was my first time as a “soccer mom”. I thought there was no way we could add yet another thing to our already crazy schedule but my youngest was insistent that he wanted to play soccer. So we signed up for Kids, Incorporated Fall Outdoor soccer and waited for the practice schedule.

Our coach was brand new himself, and scheduled 2 practice nights a week just 30 minutes after I got off work. “How am I going to get two kids picked up and all the way over to practice” I thought.  I quickly learned a few lessons that helped me survive soccer season:

Lesson 1, be prepared: The first practice was awful, I didn’t pack any sort of snack and I didn’t even bring a water bottle! Bring the right shoes and clothes because running in denim jeans isn’t fun for anyone. Prepare yourself bring a blanket or a lawn chair, bug spray, sunscreen, or a jacket if the weather calls for it. Don’t make yourself miserable at practice because your child will pick up on it.

Lesson 2, step up: The coach was trying to keep 8 kids under the age of 5 in line and explain to them how to kick the ball. Of course he kept their attention for about thirty seconds before the kids were rolling in the grass or trying to chase the birds. Another dad stepped in and quietly asked the coach if he could pull a few kids to the side and work with a smaller group. The coach gladly accepted this extra bit of help. Now each of the two men could work with groups of four instead of eight and everyone seemed more interested and happy.

As the other adults watched their kids’ practice we started talking about game days and snack duty, I offered to organize the schedule and send text reminders the day before. This helped our season go a lot smoother and took the additional burden or financial responsibility of the coach.

Lesson 3, have fun with it: Watching pre-kindergarten athletes attempt to be world-class athletes is really fun and hilarious at times. My son continued to try to head bump the ball even though he hadn’t made any sort of contact between his foot and the ball…somehow he thought his head was going to be a better tool. I had to remember every great athlete got his or her start by being a kid at a city park trying to make a connection with a ball. 

My kid didn’t make a single goal during the Fall Outdoor season, nor did he make a goal during the Fall Indoor season. He did make memories and had fun chasing his teammates. He did make a good sport, shaking hands with the team that just beat him. He also made great decisions and grew as a person – learning how to shake off his frustrations and wait his turn to play.

My child has yet to make a soccer goal, yet he is making and passing on the goals we have set for him as parents. And what is life without goals?

Tag(s): Spring Indoor Soccer  Home