I became a "Soccer Mom"....

...I just had to see it in writing!! Yesterday, my four-year-old son started playing soccer, an organized sport. Groups of young boys, kicking a ball around together, competing...FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!! Organized sports and religion....two things that I have had difficulty coping with my entire life.

I have never felt so proud. We have produced a little person that is able to follow directions, interact with others in a respectful manner, and who has a wonderful sense of humor. My husband and I sat on the sidelines watching him and about 12 other little boys and girls kick soccer balls across the field, playing games of "Sharks and Minnows", dribbling the balls with their feet.

As parents, we find ourselves thinking "please god, dont let my kid be the one that doesn't pay attention or do something stupid". He didn't!! He did sat and listened to all of the directions, followed the rules. He laughed and had fun. He had little conversations with the other boys out on the field. He may actually be a productive member of society!! Not that one night of preschool soccer will predict such a thing, but man, it really helps reinforce all of the parenting we have done up to this point. It makes me realize that "hey, we have done something right!!"

I was thinking that after over 45 minutes of kicking, running, jumping and unnecessarily diving on to the soccer ball, that my kid would be totally and udderly exhausted....somehow, it seemed to be just a warm up!! Then he wanted to go play on the playground equipment afterwards...which he did for about another half an hour...we could barely lure him out with the promise of ice cream--just barely. And even then, I think I wanted the icecream more than him. Shit, I should have been running out there on the soccer field too! But that is a whole other blog entry...

I really was not thinking that my child playing soccer would be quite so rewarding for me!! I thought he might have fun but I didn't think that I would feel quite so proud. His dad was proud too. And for a unathletic man that is impressive in itself. I was proud when he said his first sentence, took his first steps, went to preschool the first time, but somehow this seemed to top all of that...maybe because it is an area that I, myself, have not excelled in. He did well AND seemed to have fun. And the season has just become...but I am still not going to buy a mini-van and put a "soccer mom" sticker in the window! I have my limits....:)