Hi my name is Mari and I’m a soccer mom. Though I don’t have the stereotypical minivan (I have to this point been able to resist the sweet siren song and promise of more room for people, “cargo,” and the availability of an onboard hard drive that allows you to upload movies and music!), I now have two kids with their own soccer balls, fungus-resistant polypropylene water bottles, reversible jerseys, and shin guards.

Now let me tell you, I am not nor have I ever been considered an athlete. Yes, I have come to realize that activity and exercise are great, but I’ve never really been a team sports kind of gal. But I do understand that team sports are a good idea, a great way for kids to understand working together to reach a common goal, winning, losing, and grace under pressure. They can see how great it feels to help out a friend on the pitch (technical soccer term for the field – look at me go!), and to try something, work hard at it, and keep trying.

The first practices were exciting. I took many pictures (thank you, digital camera) so I could share the moment with daddy, unable to be here. Yes, there are the pictures of his 3-year-old daughter laying on the field, using her ball as a pillow while her teammates practice dribbling the ball into the net. The pictures of his 6-year-old son chatting up the girls on his team and stretching muscles that currently lie dormant in his gangly arms and legs.

The first games were... interesting. Lauren spent the time crying on the sidelines, too scared to play. Spencer got in there and played his heart out, though there were many moments of standing and watching while in the middle of the field, many moments of skipping to catch up to the pack of children chasing the ball.

Did I mention that I’m also a bit hyper-competitive? I try to just relax and not get agitated that the kids may not take it as seriously as I do. It’s their fun time, and what would they learn from a hypercompetitive non-team-sports-playing mom screaming on the sidelines? So I sat with Lauren and let her watch her teammates (hoping that she would be drawn in by the fun and excitement). And I praised Spencer for picking up game skills and encouraged him to run instead of skip. I want to enjoy this time before they become so locked into the winning and losing aspect of life and just enjoy it along with them. Besides, their favorite part of soccer? The cool accessories. Competition can wait.