Charlotte Soccer

Even though I was dreading having 3 kids in soccer at the same time, I decided to have Charlotte start Little Strikers because it's such a fun program.  It is just once a week for an hour, and they have fun drills and games just to get the kids used to handling the ball and not using their hands.  It is just for 3-4 year olds, and all of my kids have done it and loved it.  It is also fun because it feels like half the town is there at the practices and the older kids can come and play with the other kids that are around.  It in fact reminds me of the ball field of my youth, where I remember going and spending entire days, without actually watching any ballgames--there were piles of sand, there were rocks, there was walking back and forth between the boys' and girls' fields, there were concession treats---

Anyway, the point of this post is mainly to record Charlotte's epic experience at Little Strikers.  The last day of the program, they had a "scrimmage" game, where they divided up the kids into 2 teams, putting giant yellow jerseys to distinguish them.  

Here's what happened:

The ball was on the other teams side of the field.  It was in fact so far actually right beside the line at that end of the field, inches from being "out".  Charlotte was in a mob of tiny children, somehow she managed to get herself behind the ball, she saved it from going out.  Then she proceeded to carefully dribble the ball, weaving among the throng of players.  They were all small, but she was certainly one of the tiniest.  The mob continued down the field, with Charlotte in the center, carefully commanding the ball.  They approached her team's goal.  I almost looked away because I figured there was zero chance that Charlotte could actually make a goal with all those kids in her way.  But then...I saw it...she positioned herself, she kicked, and the ball went in!  Charlotte turned and raised both her hands in the air.  We hear her piping voice exclaim, "I scorwed!"  And the crowd claps and laughs at how cute she is.  

In several seasons of soccer, she is my only child to yet score a goal, and it was epic.