Summer of 2016, a friend of ours called Adam and asked if Ellis would like to play soccer in the fall.
Adam and I were both like, "um, well, o-k?!"
We had both planned on her playing sports at some point, but for first time parents, this kind of snuck up on us. She was only 3. 5, so we kinda thought that she was still a little too young.
But when the call came, we decided quickly to jump on it and say yes!
The first season was a doosie. It was our running joke that a game went really well if no one cried. We wondered if she was gonna "get it." All the while, her sweet and encouraging coaches would tell us over and over not to worry, it was going to stick eventually. It would get better.
It did. I has. Just one season later, it was amazing to see how much the girls learned and grew.
I can speak for both Adam and I, that we are so very glad we said yes. We are so grateful for the opportunity for her to play with such a great group of girls. So grateful for the amazing coaches we truly feel we lucked out with. And man, I am just so grateful to watch her grow in her abilities, but even more, grow in her relationships with her teammates who she might not have gotten to know in this part of her life, if it weren't for playing soccer.
Now, we are four seasons in and practicing twice a week. Yesterday as we rushed from me teaching class at the gym to her practice, it dawned on me. This is the "soccer mom shuffle" I always heard about. We are four seasons in and it just dawned on me. I know, I know: "a little late to the realization party, Beck!"
I guess I always kinda dreaded the "shuffle" in my mind because I knew it would be difficult to make it happen. BUT, what I think is so cool is that I we have been doing this for three seasons already and it's never once seemed "difficult" or "dreaded." We have just made it happen. And it's been really fun. I love it. She loves it. Yes, she is still in the age where she loves it mostly because she gets to see her friends, but she loves it every practice and every game. And she does love making goals, too!
The above photos were taken at our last game in the fall. Memaw and Papa Trump were able to come down to watch and she was over the moon happy about that!
Saturday is our first game for this spring season, and I can't wait to get to watch and cheer them on.
I am a soccer mom (insert heart eyes).
Hot Spurs, YOU KNOW IT!
This video is from October 2016. They were all so little - more heart eyes, please!
