Soccer Begins...Did Ever Ever Really End?

I know you've been wondering, "When will soccer ever begin?"  Really it seems so long ago that we've been to a soccer game or practice or talked about soccer or thought about soccer or...  Oh yeah, for Caroline it never really ended because of her "off season" 3v3 play.  Well the Spring Regular Season has begun.  This morning was Kevin's first game.  He was on fire, for about 80% of the time!  The other 20% he had to be reminded that he is playing soccer and needed to go after the ball.  He is there in the blue.

Score!!!! Not even a diving handball will save this one!

Let's do it again!

And Again!!!  In the end, he made 4 goals and 2 others barely missed.  He also played great defense and saved a couple being scored on his team and would have saved another had he not lost his shoe en route, where he just sat down and tried to figure out how he was going to get it back on over his super huge socks.

Caroline also started her new regular season.  She moved up to a bigger field and is playing 6v6 with a goalie.  She played half of the game in a defensive mid-field position.  She played great defense and got a breakaway.  She did some great moves, controlled the ball, took it the length of the field, and took a shot on goal.  It ended up being blocked by the goalie, but it looked great.  .  The 2nd half, she played goalie.  I was so nervous.  Last season they played 4v4 and had one person who played defense - not goalie, just defense.  This was not her strongest position, to say the least.  So putting her at goalie, where it is just her and the ball, with kids, especially boys who kick it hard and in the air had me on edge.  Last season she got kicked in the face 4 times, so I was really worried.  But, she played so great!  I was proud of her.  She allowed one goal, which was on a really great kick that went over her head (they also have bigger goals and if you can get it in the air, almost every ball is going to go in).  She had a gazillion saves.  Parents around me were commenting on how great she was doing.  But near the end of the game, she muffed a punt (she knows she is not good at punting) and the ball fell outside the goalie box, so she couldn't use her hands.  The other team happened to have a player out of position and she was there to get to it quick and scored.  The game ended in a tie.  Caroline was so upset, but it was the only mistake she made in the entire game.  She really played great.  I am still beaming with pride.  Here she is in blue going for the ball. Its going to be an interesting season.