It was a brisk fall morning with a slight breeze in the air. The Martin family approached the soccer fields with excitement and anticipation for the 8:30 soccer game. Parking was quick as not many people had made it to the fields yet or so I had thought. Aspen was in her orange t-shirt in line along with her team for their team/individual photos. Team 5 the Lions consisted of 8 little girls 6 blonds, 1 brunette, and 1 spectacular curly red head. All with hair pulled back, with bright orange shirts on along with chin guards and cleats. The socks showed the personality of each little girl/Lion. It was going to be a great morning for soccer.
After Lions finished with pictures the team, along with coaches and parents with chairs, cameras, and something warm in their free hand headed over the berm that was obstructing the view from the photo area. Once we all made our way to the top of the berm, I stopped and for once was in awh of what I saw on the other side.
Freshly cut green grass still hanging onto the morning dew with recently painted white lines outlining each soccer field with circles in the middle of the rectangular field along with goals on both ends. Field after field after field with more fields to the left and more to the right. It was a sea of team colors with parents and spectators finding their places on the sidelines of their favorite teams pitch. It reminded me of a scene in a movie when the camera slowly breaks over the hill and encounters a battle in the middle of an open field.
After taking my moment we found the Lions field and setup our temporary camp to cheer on that little curly red head we are so fond of and her teammates. Bryant was wrapped in his blanket in the little red chair borrowed from Aspen and his bag of cheerios. Joe with the video camera and I with the camera got ready to watch the game.
It was so much fun to watch the cluster of girls trying to get their cleats on the ball and the opportunity to break free from the pack to try and score a goal. So many times the Lions dribbled the ball to the goal, all the ball needed was a little tap into the goal, but time and time again that final kick to the size 3 soccer ball either went left or right. No goal. The spectators would cheer and cheer each time then sigh and laugh after each failed attempt. Bryant could be heard yelling “Go, Go, Go” then plopping a Cheerio into his mouth. The opposing team however seemed to have a little secret because they would get that little pink ball into the goal time and time again.
The last two quarters would be better, and true enough the Lions found their groove, and the opposing pink team seemed to have lost some of theirs. Then the moment happened, that cluster of girls kicked the ball out of the cluster and that little curly red head broke free also, she dribbled that ball down the field by herself and approached the goal with the other girls in hot pursuit. One last kick would put it in and add another point to the Lions score. She cocked her foot back and let that little pink size 3 ball have it. The ball rolled and rolled and came within inches of hitting the goal post. It missed that post by centimeters and rolled to the side, the left side. Had it been to the right she would have scored.
The game ended soon after, and as is the case with kindergarten soccer, no score was kept. The girls, parents and coaches had a fantastic morning and are all looking forward to another one next weekend. Parking will be a little more difficult.
