Soccer Girl

Kennedy has now accomplished something athletically that neither Tara nor I ever did. She has played in her first youth sports league at 3 years old. Tara started tee ball at 6 and I played soccer at 5, but Kennedy has set the pace for sports in the family. Now, I'm not saying she is a burgeoning Mia Hamm or any such thing. In fact, she isn't even sure what it means to play soccer. Still, she likes to run around on the field with the other kids and that's enough for a 3 year old.

Earlier this week Dede's team played their first game. I have no idea what the score was, or who played the most minutes. None of that stuff matters. It was fun to watch Kennedy and her teammates run up and down the field, when they weren't crying that is. I guess 3 year olds don't like soccer much the first time they play. Every one of the girls had a moment where tears came on and they chose not to play. Kennedy didn't even want to go on the field until Tara went with her. Even then she didn't last too long.

Then we discovered our secret weapon. Kennedy knew that the kids would be getting treats at breaks, and she wanted a treat (I'm sure you couldn't have guessed that one). So, like any good parents, we committed extortion and wouldn't let her get a treat unless she played. "Treats are only for players, not for watchers" became our mantra for the day. Suddenly, her interest level in the game increased and she played for about 1/3 of the game.

It was a fun day and a good chance for Dede to get some new experiences. Who knows maybe she'll actually like playing next time...