2017 Labor Day Tournament

Nico's club team played in the Schwaben Labor Day Tournament.  They did all right- going 2-1 in the tourney.  Nico played in goal.  It was surreal.

Soccer Pics

Nico is still loving soccer.  He seems to really dig the "competitor" and "team" aspects of playing soccer.  

Not sure what is going on with this tongue.  

Soccer

AYSO Soccer.

Oh, what is there to say?

It is frustrating because "having fun" is the most important thing- at the expense of everything else.  Nico's team is a bit of a mess.  But it's AYSO- so we're all just having fun.  The problem is that the emphasis on "having fun" discounts the fun that can be had by learning how to play a sport well.  By everyone being hyper vigilant about how it is all about having fun, the kids that are trying to learn how to play soccer (read: pass, trap, dribble, defend, and shoot) get penalized by the emphasis on "having fun".

For example, there is a kid on Nico's team that keeps picking the ball up in the run of play.  Like, on purpose, in the middle of the field, picks the ball up when it comes to him.  Now, it is not fair for the other team when this happens, so much of the time, a free kick is awarded whenever this kid picks the ball up.  But because its AYSO and this is just for fun, no one feels all that great about yelling at this kid.  Seriously- this isn't something that happens once or twice a game.  It usually happens 5 or 6 times in a game.  Sometimes the kid runs away with the ball.  But, its all funsies- so no one really gets after the kid.  Because that is not the culture of AYSO.

So what does Nico do?  Nico avoids playing the ball to his own team mate.  I don't blame him.  And I would definitely do the same, if that kid were on my team.  Nico has figured out that his team's chances are better at accomplishing "playing soccer" if he doesn't pass the ball to this kid, because there is a decent chance this kid will pick the ball up with his hands if it is played to him.  So Nico sometimes takes the ball himself.

But what is learned here?
1)  The kid still hasnt learned the rules of the game and that the rules apply to him.
2)  All the kids think it is a great big joke.  Ha ha ha, _____________ picked up the ball again.
3)  Trust no one.

The thing is, that if we could take the kids in AYSO that "get it" it could be really fun.  It is fun to learn to pass and trap the ball.  It is fun to play soccer in a way that starts to approximate how the sport is played.  Its fun to learn how to be an athlete- showing up to practice and games on time, having respect for coaches and the game and the rules.  Its fun working on an identity of "soccer player".

But this nonsense?  I don't know everything, but my guess is that this is why people leave AYSO.

Eh.

Allez

We are having a blast this summer.

Nico being home from school on Tuesdays and Thursdays has been fantastic.  I have been able to take a vacation day here and there in order to hang out with him.  Yesterday we managed to just hang out at the house.  I went to the gym in the morning while Dave and Nico headed to the Y.  When we got back to the house, I ran out to drop my computer off to the computer guy (DO NOT EVEN GET ME STARTED.  Note to self, if you ever hear me talking about buy a new HP, that is your clue to stage an intervention.  Worst debacle ever).  I swung by to get some icecream and headed to the park with Nico.  While we ate our ice cream, we watched some older kids to a soccer practice.  Which was cool.  But then we got on with our main reason for being at the park: gk training.  It's a bummer that little guys' soccer doesn't have gks.  He's looking forward to playing actual gk for a team in a game.



Even better, is that we have started having a go at each other in the form of one on ones.  Only Nico doesn't call them that.  He calls them "tustles".  Which is hilarious, since I use the word "tustle" like this: "Nico Royse, if you pop me in the face with that sword you're swinging, we're gonna tustle, so I'd stop if I were you."

We are going to try to sneak up to Michigan tomorrow to see Uncle Scott.  I wanted to get up there earlier, but just couldn't make it happen.  Other than that, not much else is happening.

I have a CrossFit competition next weekend (on the 17th).  I haven't done a competition before.  The previous competitions my gym has held, I've been like, "Oh, Damn.  I'd like to.  But who is going to take pictures?"  Or my personal favorite, "Oh, I meant to sign up for that one in Arlington Heights, but registration is closed.  Bummer."  In all honesty, I am kind of nervous about it.  It's a team competition, so it shouldn't be too much of a grind.  As far as our team goes, there is another girl who definitely has a motor, but isn't probably as strong as I am.  The two guys each have their own strengths... I just don't want to be in a place where the team is counting on me to full snatch 95 lbs.  Because that is just not going to happen... unless the competition calls for me to fail horribly.  Because I am all over that :)

In any case, I asked Nico if he was going to cheer for me.  He said yes, and I asked if he had any cheers for me.  His answer: "Allez la putain!" Which is not nice.  Not nice at all.  To be fair, I taught him this accidentally in the car... you know how it is.  It's french for "Go Whore!"  But he also knows Allez is GO.  So, I can understand the confusion.  I hope he doesn't really cheer like that.  That would be terrible.

Nico's first soccer game

So, it is that time of the year.  The weather is starting to get nice.  Not today, (it is a bit cool), but generally.  There is no snow, so I guess I shouldn't complain all that much.

I have three more class meetings before I am done with this quarter.  While this is the second time I have taught this course, it feels hard because I overhauled the course.  So, I feel like I am constantly on the grind.  Will be very glad when the quarter is over.  I, will have to start prep for a new course that I have been asked to teach in the fall.  It's on the edge of my area of interest, but I never let not knowing much about something keep me from acting like an expert.

When I went to sign Nico up for soccer two weeks ago, they asked if we might want to finish out the rest of the spring season (3-4 games left).  We said yes and got Nico signed up, so he had his first game last weekend.

Let's just say this: there were three goals scored: and Nico had a hand in two of them, and his team lost. By three.  One of the goals, he scored, straightaway.  The other he took a goal kick and kicked it to the other team.  Who then scored a goal.

In all, it was pretty fun.  They started with like 30 minutes of "practice" where they warmed up and then just did fun little games.  For some reason, this kid was OBSESSED with his jersey and with sticking his tongue out.  It is very Michael Jordan, which is cool.

What is completely crazy is how completely unprepared Dave and I were for this day.  No water coolers, no water, no chairs!  It was almost like it was amatuer hour.  ALMOST!!

I think Nico might not have really understood what was happening with the game.  And he definitely lost focus for a bit.  On throw-ins, he'd zone out along with all the other kids on the field.  So, we will have to work on that- but overall, it was a pretty fun game.  I think he is going to like playing!