Play the Game

It was an exercise in frustration.

I shouldn't have been so surprised, really. After all, they'd only had two whole hours of practice before their very first game and Caitlin had never played before. The coach is just some dad (As in, not an actual coach that has training and a paycheck.) and does not appear to have ever coached before.

She knew the proper way to pose with a soccer ball, though.

The soccer pose. It's all about the jaunty stance.

I guess I had my expectations set kind of high when I thought the coach might've chosen to do something useful with the twenty minutes before the game. I kinda thought he might go over the rules of the game with them. Or give the girls a refresher on what their positions were and what they were expected to do.

Guess not.

Here's an action shot of Caitlin.

Chase the ball!

As in, she's actually in motion.

Here's a shot of Caitlin as she was for the majority of the game.

Not the goalie.

No, she wasn't the goalie.

She didn't know she was supposed to move - ever. Unless the ball pretty much came right to her, she never moved. She didn't know defense positions or what offense did. She didn't know where left mid-field was. The coach didn't tell her and I didn't know that she didn't know. I was under the assumption that information was included in the two hours of training.

Guess not.

Oh well.

Her team did score one goal, amazingly enough (The other team scored over three. I lost count.). I discovered that I am not cut out to sit quietly on the sidelines.

No! Really! I was surprised. I thought I wouldn't care how the game went, but while watching I found it kind of a thrill to watch those kids running around, kicking wildly at the ball and trying to make it go somewhere else. I felt so frustrated watching Caitlin do nothing at all that I had to start shouting encouragement and useful things like Stand up! and Chase the ball! and Run, Caitlin!

You know, just like a good sports enthusiast would.

Emma and Logan watched, too. They didn't have much to say, though.

I could be goalie!

Run, Caitlin! Run!

I'd like to say that the last two practices have seen better behavior, but I can't. Even with her new glasses firmly perched on her nose, Caitlin goes off into her own world in her head. And if ever a kid needed a team sport to get her out of her own head, Caitlin is that kid!

All I want is for her to learn the rules of the game and actually try to play it before throwing a fit or announcing that she hates soccer. So while I never had any intention of becoming a "Soccer Mom", it would appear that until the coach steps up and starts coaching, I will have to drill Caitlin on the positions and rules and shout from the sidelines.

Any advice out there on getting a bookish kid into the game? Anyone? Bueller?