A Soccer Legacy continues

It is no secret that my family is a soccer family… we started and ran Saturday morning soccer at CBC for YEARS, the three older kids participated in traveling teams, we ALL played soccer in junior high and high school, and Jimmy even started on his team at Roberts!  My brothers have already passed on their love for the game with their boys and I have done the same – playing in the yard, teaching my girls to kick with BOTH feet, and making up games to teach skills. I have wanted to keep that legacy alive! 

BUT UNTIL SEVERAL WEEKS AGO we hadn’t enrolled Grace in an organized league.  The funny thing is that the league called a few weeks ago and asked us to consider being coaches.   They don’t know us, yet they were SO DESPERATE that they asked.  I told them that I was due with baby number 4 next month and Danny doesn’t have a clue about the game, but that didn’t bother them!  They were excited that we were considering it and then accepted the position.  We knew that this would be a GREAT way to share Jesus with families here is DSM.    We would get to meet lots of kids ages 5-6 and their parents. 

Grace (along with Mommy and Daddy) had her first practice and scrimmage last night on the ORANGE CRUSH team here in Des Moines.  I had attended the coaches meeting the week before and had been given the shirts and some instructions.  I had a plan for the practice, water for my kids, a handout for the parents with important information, and snack ready for the team (which is REALLY important!). 

It all went REALLY well… Grace was fantastic – she listened well, obeyed perfectly, and played hard!  During our scrimmage she blocked one of the boy’s kicks from going into the goal (yahoo!) and on the other end she SCORED HER FIRST GOAL (That’s my girl!)!  It was a fun evening, and I am thankful that we get to do this as a family – Danny had Josiah on his back and Hannah did the drills right along with us.  I told my girls that I was SO proud of them… not just because they played so well, but for the joyful, cooperative and obedient spirits that they had.  That means more to us that dozens of goals!

 

We pulled out an orange shirt for Hannah as well… she is an unofficial part of the team –

just one of the perks to having her parents as the coaches!

YUP… she is just adorable!

I am looking forward to next week as I pray for these kids and parents and plan my strategy to beat the black team….

they don’t stand a chance! :)