I plan to recap the fall U12 season in my next post, but I want to write first about Bri's "career" in soccer up to this point. Bri's team played phenomenally this season. They ended up in 2nd place for the division and the tournament. So, so proud of Team Golden Eagles.
Briana has been playing soccer since 2010 - she was three and a half when she started. I knew she had a knack for soccer the minute she started kicking the ball around.
I enrolled B in a soccer program called Soccer Tots. She absolutely loved it...
At age 3, it wasn't all about the soccer. There was definitely more fun and games involved...
Bri moved up to the 4 year old class, and though there was plenty of fun and games, there was a bit more soccer instruction involved...
I had planned to keep Bri in Soccer Tots a bit longer, but the classes ended permanently at the facility where we had been taking Bri (no classes offered after winter 2011). To keep B in Soccer Tots, we would have had to drive a distance somewhere else. Not going to happen with a 4 year old.
Bri was already taking gymnastics at the time and she wanted to try horseback riding too. B was also about to start kindergarten. I decided to hold off on soccer for a while and she didn't play for a year. I know she missed it.
My good friend Amy contacted me in the spring of 2012 saying her daughter Mary (one of Bri's BFFs) was going to play U5 rec soccer at the YMCA in the spring and asked if Bri wanted to join too. We said yes immediately and that is how Bri's long association with the Y rec program began.
Bri's U5 team (Team Brazil)...
In the fall of 2012, Bri started U6 soccer with Coach Kari (her daughter Griffin was on the team) and was on Team Argentina (this is where Bri met friends Ella and Josie)...
Bri continued with U6 Team Argentina in the spring as well...
You can see below Ella, Josie and Briana on U6 Team Argentina (Ella was missing from the above picture)...
U6 soccer was 3 verses 3 - no keeping track really of who won each game and there were no tournaments. The girls were learning skills and how to be team players.
Then it was time to move up to U8 in fall of 2013. Coach Kari continued to coach Team Argentina and asked Doug to be her assistant coach. The first year of U8 (U8 continues for two years), I unfortunately did not keep track of who won or lost during the regular season. (For U8 and U10 rec soccer, teams within a particular Y only play each other during the regular season. For the tournament though, teams are often put against teams from other local Ys as well.)
What I did keep track of was that Team Argentina won 2nd place in the fall tournament that year - and they were the newbies to U8 Y soccer. It was so impressive...
The girls moved on to U8 spring soccer and though they played super hard, they didn't make it to the final in the tournament that year...
Coach Kari had coached the girls for two years at that point and had done an amazing job. Griffin decided to move to academy with a different ball club, and Kari decided to move on as well. When she decided to leave, she asked assistant coach Doug if he wanted to take over - and he did.
The second year of U8 (fall of 2014). Coach Doug (my amazing hubby) was now the main coach for Team Argentina. And Coach Shannon (Ella's mom) came on as assistant coach. (I was team mom when Kari was coach and also when Doug was coach!)
This was the time when a lot of parents (and the coaches) started realizing that there
was some real talent on the team. I know the girls were really young,
but they had skills, talent and passion for the game. It was really fun
to watch. Doug had a special knack for dealing with the girls. He always made sure he instilled confidence in them. This is also when sweet Sofia (who is now a Golden Eagle) joined the team.
That fall regular U8 season, Team Argentina was almost undefeated (I think they had one tie game and won the rest). Unfortunately, they didn't make it to the final in the tournament that year...
In the spring of 2015, U8 Team Argentina was undefeated! We gained sweet Ava that season. The girls won all their regular season games and won the entire tournament too. Coach Doug couldn't have been more proud! It was a magical moment...
At that time, the Y was wooing rec players to help build their academy team. The Y saw how good Team Argentina was and really laid their program and promises on thick. We took the bait and decided (along with one other Team Argentina member) to move to U10 academy. That meant Coach Doug needed to pass the rec Team Argentina to someone else.
Sofia's father offered to take the team - and he became Coach Javier of the U10 Golden Eagles (U10 goes for 2 years in rec as well).
Bri's move to the Y academy was the biggest.mistake.ever...
Promises were broken, the coach was mediocre, Bri couldn't really break in to the well-established team, and she got basically no play time. She was miserable - literally. Bri tried so hard. She went to practices for weeks and tried to make the best of it. The girl that joined academy with her from Team Argentina never talked to her. I couldn't watch my girl miserable anymore, so Doug and I went to Javier and asked if Bri could come back to rec and to the team. Coach Javier and the new Golden Eagles team welcomed us back with open arms.
Briana could not have been happier. She felt like she was back "home." The U10 team now had also gained Maddie, Presley, Kaelan and Faith.
Bri only missed the 1st game of the rec season and was back up and running. So fall of 2015, Team Golden Eagles came in 2nd place during the regular season to their rivals "The Ravens" and they unfortunately didn't make it to the final in the tournament (the tournament was abbreviated due to many rain outs that season)...
Team Golden Eagles rocked it during the spring season (2016) of their 1st year of U10. They were undefeated and beat their rivals "The Ravens" that season. They came in 2nd place at the tournament that season...
The second season of U10 started and due to aging out, we sadly lost Kaelan and Faith (they moved up to U12).
In the fall of 2016, the new U10 Golden Eagles team (Coach Javier and Coach Shannon continued to coach) won both their division and their tournament that season. 1st place winners...
These little rock stars did it again in the spring of 2017 - winning both their U10 division and their tournament (sadly, Ava moved away during the season and we lost a few other girls as well, so the Golden Eagles won their tournament with only 7 girls. That's it. They are beasts!)...
After two years of playing U10, it was time for Bri and her teammates to move up to U12 rec soccer. Coach Javier and Coach Shannon continued to coach the Golden Eagles. Sadly, Josie decided to move on to an academy team. Kaelan and Faith were able to return to our team. And ironically, a few former Ravens joined our team as well.
The new Golden Eagles U12 team played amazing this season and placed second in the division and the tournament...
So here we are.
The U12 fall season is complete. Looking back, the coaches and parents are now realizing this season was not super challenging for the girls. Team GE only came across one or two teams that gave them a run for the money. The girls only came in second because there is one super hard team in the league that they just could not beat (and a couple of the girls on that super hard team should move to academy or provide birth certificate proof of age because they looked 16). Without them, GE would have clinched the win for sure.
Several of the girls now (including Bri) are strongly considering moving to an academy team next season (NOT with the Y). It might be time to see what else is out there. Also, our coaches are looking to move away from coaching as well. They have devoted so many years to coaching our girls (volunteering their time) and we cannot thank them enough for it.
Bri and Ella tried out an academy practice last week and really enjoyed it...
These two girls have had some ups and downs in their friendship over the years and they continue to challenge each other on the ball field. I see how close they are becoming now and it makes my heart happy. :) I love these girls so much!
So that is where we are now. In a decision-making phase - stay in rec (with a new coach/team) or move on to academy. I will let you know what we decide for the spring. I will say that things are looking super promising in the academy department.
So that is where we are now. In a decision-making phase - stay in rec (with a new coach/team) or move on to academy. I will let you know what we decide for the spring. I will say that things are looking super promising in the academy department.
I cannot believe how far my gal has come in her soccer "career." It's been so fun getting to see her win so many medals and trophies. I'm really proud of her. And I have to say a huge thank you to all her coaches (including her daddy) who made her the solid and skilled soccer player she is today. Maybe she'll get to play soccer in high school. Only time will tell...
