We are so excited that Benson got to play soccer for the first time this year!
These photos are from his second game. I forgot my camera for his first game (mother of the year!) but we got some shots with Tami's camera. I'm SUPER sad that I forgot my camera too, because it was an EPIC game! Poor Benson has only been to 2 other soccer games, ever. And for one of them, he was off playing on the playground. So I don't think he knew what to expect.
He has been so excited to play soccer, and he was so thrilled when he got his soccer gear that he wore it 3 days straight before he ever played. We could tell that he was starting to get nervous on the drive over, though. We got to his game a little early, and talked to some people we knew. He started to get really clingy, which means that he was not excited. We found his field, and since the kids are so young, they do a short soccer practice and then a short game. We had to coax him on the field to practice because he was NOT having it. He got out and practiced OK, but we could tell he wasn't his usual crazy-kid self. Once they got done practicing, they started the game and Benson sat out for the first quarter. It went well, and when the coach told him to come in for the second quarter, he was NERVOUS!!! We coaxed him out on the field again, and he did alright. He ran around with the clump. Then came half-time and he sat for a few minutes. When he was called on the field for the 3rd quarter, he LOST IT!!! The poor kid did not want to play.
The 3rd quarter of his first game was one of my lowest mothering points so far. I was so bummed that he wouldn't play. We had all been so excited for soccer to start, and I knew if he got used to it a little, he'd be fine. I did not handle it well, though. I told him that we DO NOT QUIT!!! I threatened to take away all of his soccer gear (that he loves so much) and never let him come back again if he didn't get in there right now. The poor kid did not want to go out on that field! With the 4th quarter came more refusing by Benson and more threatening by me. Finally, I made Casey go out on the field with him and hold his hand while he played (against both of their wills). He stood lifeless for about 3 minutes at the end of the game and then got a treat and went home. The funniest part of all of this is that after the game, he kept saying how good he did and how fun soccer was. I got my mothering act back together and praised him for the times he did play and kept encouraging him.
As the week went on, we talked A LOT about his next soccer game. I guess the whole problem was that he didn't expect that many people to be there. He seemed OK with the other kids, but he said that he didn't like the other moms and dads, especially when they were yelling for him. He said that he liked having his family there, but not the other people. We talked a lot about what a team is, and how the other people are there to watch their kids just like we were there to watch him. We also talked about how the coach is in charge and that when he tells Benson what to do, he needs to listen. All the talking and prompting must have worked, because we had a WONDERFUL second game!!!!
Long Story.
Here are the pictures from his second game, which was great!
Practicing. He always runs with his tongue out. I love it!!!
Sweet Molly was such a good spectator. She did try to run on the field a few times, but all in all, she did great!
This is how he runs the entire time! Arms up, elbows out, and tongue flapping in the breeze.
Molly again. Her hair is getting RED!
Every once in a while, he'd look over at us like this. Just making sure everything was OK, I guess.
He even gave "thumbs up" after a while.
Another of Molly. Don't want her to be left out.
Kicking off.
A plane flew by, and Benson stopped to watch it. Notice how there aren't any kids around him? They were all chasing the ball. He stood there for a minute, just watching the plane.
The one and only time he kicked it in the whole game!!! He was usually the last one in the pack, not the kid kicking. In fact, if he got close to the front, he would run around to be in the back of the pack.
There's that tongue again.
Action Shot!!
He is a good sport. We talked about if he really wanted to play, or if he wanted to wait until he got a little older, but he always says he loves it and wants to keep playing. I'm glad he kept at it, because he did so much better the second game, and it is SO MUCH FUN for us to watch him.
