So I became a “Soccer Mom” a couple of weeks ago. I mean, I don’t have a soccer mom van, but I did a few years ago, well, until the door fell off. But that’s a story for a different time.
I know nothing about soccer. I don’t even know soccer terms. All I know is you’re not supposed to touch the ball with your hands and it’s ok to hit the ball with your head. Why is that even a thing? That’s so awkward and can’t possibly be healthy for your head.
My son has been asking to play soccer for a few years now. For various reasons it never worked out with our schedule until this year. So, I took the plunge and signed him up. He hit the ground running. Literally, on his first practice he ran right out onto the field like he knew what he was doing. It was quite refreshing given his normal routine of acting shy and not talking to anyone for the first hour.
His first game landed on a Thursday evening. The weather was nice. It wasn’t too hot or too cold. It was comfortable. So we sat as a small group of family and friends and watched him make his trek towards the field. Everything was going well, he was happy, there were no tantrums when the ball didn’t get kicked his way but then the flossing started.
Yes, you heard that right. Flossing. During the game Nathan was mid-field. Out in the open for everyone to see, waiting for the ball to come his way. Apparently, he got bored. And then decided that it would be a great time to start flossing. Oh yeah, and I’m talking about the popular dance among kids these days, not flossing your teeth.
So naturally I started shaking my head to tell him to stop and pay attention to the game, so what does he do? He leaves the field in the middle of the game to give me the business! I mean, what? Even I know you’re not supposed to do that. I got a stern warning to stop telling him not to floss before he returned to the field. Luckily, he was there in time to kick the ball when it came his way.
His first game wasn’t all flossing and rainbows though. Towards the end of the game my little boy experienced something even more painful than 4th grade math homework. A ball flew across the field and landed right above his shin guards and below his waistline. But he walked it off like a pro. His team didn’t win that game, but I think Nathan learned a very valuable lesson that day that he will take with him to adulthood. Side note: Maybe I should look into sports cups?
Nathan has since played another game and this last game went a lot better. No flossing happened, no ball incidents happened and he actually helped defend the goal. He seems like he’s on the right track to becoming a soccer player. I know he has only played two games and I still don’t really know what’s going on but I’d like to think that he is doing the right thing when he kicks the ball. And he really enjoys playing. Does this mean I am in this soccer mom life for the long haul? Or am I just living my mid-field crisis right now and it will all be over soon. Only time will tell.
Steph Hightree is a hot mess mom who is fueled by stress and too much caffeine. She is a Three Rivers native who talks about the good, the bad, and well, everything else about parenthood.
Any views or opinions expressed in “#MomLife” are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of the Watershed Voice staff or its board of directors.
