The Green Gators

Jacob's soccer team was the green gators. They had lots of returning players from last year plus some new ones. They are a really good team. Their record was 13-1. I'm not suppose to keep track. They lost their very first game last Fall and that was it. It was a lot of fun to watch them progress and put plays together. By Spring season there wasn't another team that could compete with them. Almost every game David had to tell his players to let the other team score at least one goal. The team hated that and Jacob use to tell me "You always say to try my hardest so why do I have to stop and let them score a goal!" This is why I like my kids involved in sports. There are so many life lessons to be learned in the sports arena. I agonized forever about putting Jacob at a soccer academy for next year but finally decided to stick with recreational soccer one more year and then perhaps put both Jacob and Adam at the academy.

This is Jacob's goal. You can't see Jacob because of the yellow players but you can see the ball. Jacob scored 2 goals his last game. Once the score was about 5-0 David told the kids that no one could score except one person. Everyone had to set that person up to score. It was a lot of fun to watch the kids that don't always score get a goal this game.

Jacob and Jake on the sidelines

Half time instructions from the coach. These kids were really good at following David's coaching. He would tell them how to run the play and they could do it. We only had one girl on our team and she worked really hard keeping up with all those boys. She scored at our last game and I was as proud as her own mother.

Half time cheer. Go Gators!

Saturday mornings, Jacob and Adam got up and got dressed in their soccer stuff and then dressed Matthew in one of Jacob's old soccer uniforms and a pair of Adam's black dress socks that went past Matthew's knees. Then Matthew would slip his feet into Adam's extra cleats and he was ready for the games. At first I would get frustrated because I was constantly chasing Matthew around the games and trying to hold Lucas. Then I got smart and started bringing a ton of food to the games. Matthew was a lot happier and I could actually watch my boys play. It's hard when David's coaching plus he's always yelling at me to get his subs in or keep time. I'm always telling David I'm not his assistant coach but his assistant coaches weren't always at every game. It could get pretty crazy on the sidelines.

I am not a photographer and nothing proves that better than this next picture. Hi, could you be farther away to take this picture, Ashley? Back row, left to right: David, Nathan, Jake, Luke, Braden, Adam. Front Row, left to right: Issace, Kevin, Jacob, Aspen, Gabe

Nathan, Jacob and Jake
best buddies from our old neighborhood
Melanie and I were missing you, Pacen and Erica

I was glad to have soccer over for a few months. But it was bittersweet. I love having the boys play and they absolutely love it and having their Dad as a coach. He's coaching both teams again next year and I don't even want to think about when Matthew starts and David can't coach all 3 boys.