A Soccer Update

Now it is time for a soccer update! The last time I wrote about soccer, the tournament that Bri was supposed to participate in was completely canceled due to rain and soggy fields. I hoped that after winter break, things would finally kick into high gear. Yeah - not so much. The entire week after winter break it rained. Practice was canceled that whole week. I was actually happy about that because Bri was still not over her cold and coughing quite a bit (even though she was making it to school).

Bri had her first SSA game (regular season) scheduled for Sunday afternoon (March 4). We were very happy the weather was finally cooperating! The game happened as planned! We had to drive quite a distance to the field (we were the away team).

The girls warmed up and then the coach gave them a pep talk...

Bri played with her friends Ella, Megan and Josie that day. It was kind of weird seeing Bri and Ella not start the game. They were always the starters on rec. But they are the new girls now, so they waited a few minutes before getting put in...

Chatting during a break...

Bri running across the field...

SSA Chelsea Black tied the other team 2-2. Miss Ella was the one to score both goals for our team (she looked amazing!). The whole team played really hard...

Unfortunately, Bri was pretty winded that day. She wasn't completely over her cold and hadn't practiced in a couple of weeks. At one point, I saw tears in her eyes because she was having issues catching her breath. She still played the best she could and I am super proud.

Monday evening, the girls finally got back to practice! Woo Hoo!!! It was quite chilly that night...

Tuesday night, Briana was a ball girl/sideline crew for the high school girls soccer team (it's the high school that B will attend in a few years). A woman who coordinates the "sideline crew" reached out to me (and a few other parents) a few weeks ago to see if we were interested in having our girls help out the team.

 Bri was excited and nervous about it...

Briana getting the scoop from one of the girls (also a teammate) who had already done it a few times before...

Bri's friends Ella and Maddie were there that night too...

Briana watching from her corner on the sidelines...

Bri was quite busy the first half of the game...

Our high school team dominated and won the game 6-0. When the teams switched sides, Bri didn't have much to do the second half because the action was mostly on the opposite side of the field...

The one thing that freaked me out a bit were the number of injuries that occurred during two 45 minute halves. I think I remember 4 different girls crying. Two girls had to be helped off the field. I heard later that someone had a torn ligament and someone else a broken ankle. I'm not sure I am cut out to be a high school soccer mom. And it was kind of sad that the stands were quite empty - mainly parents were filling those seats. I know that stadium would have been full if it had been a male football team. Not sure how I feel about that. :(

Bri actually had a practice on Wednesday of that week too and then she had her second game last Saturday morning. There was a threat of rain, so we hoped to get through the game before it did (we got through the game!). Again, we had to travel quite a distance to the field she played on...

B was in much better form on Saturday. Feeling much better (you can see the black clouds rolling in)...

Love when she fights for the ball...

We tied the other team again 2-2. (Bri's friend Megan made one of the goals for our team!)

We grabbed some lunch after the game and started the long drive home. It did start to rain. Bri fell asleep in the car - just like she used to when she was a baby. I guess a long week of middle school and soccer, an intense game and puberty makes for a tired girl...

Bri was supposed to play Sunday too (at a field closer to home), but it was still raining. Game canceled. Fields are often closed because of them being too wet - not actually because it is raining. We've had games and practices canceled because of this. I am hoping that all of these grass fields will eventually be replaced with turf so that play can continue after it rains. I'm kind of surprised that so many fields are still grass.

Bri has a game scheduled for this Sunday afternoon - weather permitting! Hoping she does well!

This whole academy thing still feels a bit "different" and "new" to B right now. She feels like she is behind the other girls because she has been a rec soccer girl up to this point. She is shy and is having a hard time getting to know her new teammates (feeling blessed that she does have a couple of friends from her old team with her). Having all this rain has kind of thrown us off our practice schedule. It's been hard for her to find a "groove." Doug and I keep trying to remind her what a strong and technical player she is (she still needs to work on consistent aggression - she can be pretty aggressive but then there are times I can tell she is holding back). When I watch her play on the field, she looks like all of the other academy girls. She totally fits in - she just needs to believe it.

Will she attempt the tryouts in May for "select" soccer (U13) next year? Still not sure about that one yet. We still need to give it a few more weeks.

On a different note, Doug went on a business trip to Mexico for a few days and brought back some goodies for Bri. One of his potential clients sponsors the Mexican futbol team C.F. Monterrey. Doug got her this cool futbol jersey (and a crocheted Mexican cowgirl doll). Bri loved them!