My oldest son Jackson is on a soccer team for 5 and 6 year-olds. He’s the oldest, I think, by at least two months…years, by AYSO standards. So he should be the best, according to the looks I get from other parents. I think he’s the tallest, too.
Except that Jackson hates soccer, almost as much as I do.
You may be asking yourselves why I signed him up for another season in the first place? Why subject ourselves to boredom/torture/bad coffee every Saturday morning for an entire season? Because I’m an idiot, that’s why. And because my friend promised to bring beer to the sign-ups.
Regardless, we made a commitment and now we have to fulfill it.
“Just kick the ball when it comes to you, run around a bit and act like you know what you’re doing,” I tell Jackson before a game. And he does. No more, no less.
The coach has been disappointed in his performance – understandably so. “He’s a bit of daisy-picker, now, isn’t he?” he’ll joke. (He’s from Ireland, though, so it comes out like, ‘day-zee pickuh.’)
“Well, you know…kids.” Is all I say back.
But I started to feel badly for letting his teammates and their parents down. They needed Jackson to perform, to shine. To make at least…ONE…MEASLEY…GOAL! THINK OF THE TEAM!!!!
It occurred to me this week that I never asked him to actually make a goal. So this Saturday, I told Jackson to make one before he left for the game with Joe. (Any chance to skip these things, I’ll take.) And wouldn’t you know it, he nailed one across the field – a Hail Mary sort of thing – and the crowd went wild. A “Disney movie goal” Joe called it. And Jackson’s team won.
“Huh.” Is all I said when they got back. “Way to go, bud.”
“Thanks.” Jackson said. “I’m hungry.”
He and I are just missing that soccer part of our brains, I guess. Clearly, we think with our stomachs instead.
Maybe now that he’s made a goal he’ll get more into the game. But if he doesn’t and he’s really not enjoying it then don’t make him commit to another season. You could look into other activities or maybe even music lessons. I have two boys now in jr. high & high school and we (ok, they) tried many (soccer, baseball, football) organized sports and my kids never really got into any of them. They did enjoy karate for a few years but eventually lost interest in that too. What I noticed over the years is that they both enjoy winter sports, snowboarding & skiing, and playing guitar. So that’s what they do now. No teams, or competitions, just going to ski/snowboard on winter weekends for fun and paling guitar. In the summer we go four-wheeling, camping, fishing, and ride bikes.