Soccer Star...Maybe Cheerleader

Riley started soccer a couple weeks ago.  Lets just say that it hasn't been the fun and exciting time that I hoped it would be.  Riley is participating in the i9 Soccer League for 3 and 4 year olds on Saturday mornings.  She has a 25 minute practice and then they play a 25-30 minute game.  The first morning was cold and rainy.  Riley cried the minute we started getting dressed.  She hates wearing the shin guards and socks - they hurt her knees.  They don't make cleats in a size 7t so I had her wear some old tennis shoes which apparently hurt her feet.  Needless to say, she cried through the entire practice and game.  She clung to either me or Brett as we wiped her face clean from the snot dripping out of her nose. We left pretty discouraged.  Riley insisted that she wouldn't go back. 

Throughout the week we continued to talk about soccer and once again she was excited to go play.  I decided to go ahead and buy her a pair of Adidas indoor shoes.  If she decided not to play she could still wear them to play in.  Saturday morning we started to get dressed and the crying began.  She bawled as we got her dressed, did her hair, put her shin guards on, took her shin guards off, and put them back on without socks.  I told her that we had to go and she had to at least cheer her team on since it was our game to bring the drinks.  She agreed and finally quit crying when we pulled into Hy-Vee. 

I have to say that game #2 was a success compared to Game #1.  Riley insisted on carrying her recorder (you know those things we all played in elementary school music class) with her through the entire practice, BUT, she participated.  She listened to the coach, followed the drills, and by the end of the game even talked to her teammates.  A huge improvement!  She even made it on to the field during the game.  She stood by the coach, chased after the ball, spotted her daddy on the sidelines, stood with him for a minute, went back onto the field where she pretended to fall down, look at the other parents, and then run to the sideline where I was.  She spent the rest of the game playing her recorder and yelling "Go Little Strikers."  We may have a cheerleader on our hands here.