Category Archives: sports

The Start of Summer, Boys, Me, and Football

June 17, 2009family, friendship, sportsKirsetin

Know what I love best about this time of year? No alarm clock! That’s right. I will eke every extra second I can out of a cool summer morning, breeze blowing, sun shining through the window, kids still quiet. It’s the most peace I get. Ever. And I love it.

Last week was our first week without school, but instead of relaxing at home we decided to make the usually 11 ½ hour-but-this-time-13-hour-trek to Virginia to see my parents. It was just the boys and me–my husband is smart that way. The boys had a great time playing basketball with my dad,

hiking through the woods with my mom,

and sightseeing with both of them.

They also enjoyed golfing and making disgusting creations in my mother’s kitchen, but I stayed far away from that. Instead, I had a great time not being in charge of dinner and running away to visit old friends.

Those two things come pretty close to leisurely mornings on the Great Things in Life chart, don’t you think?

This week, we returned for soccer tryouts.

Except it turns out that we didn’t need to, because my son has decided to forgo travel soccer this year in favor of football this fall. Does this make me nervous? Do you know me at all? Yes, yes, it makes me very nervous. But I understand well the desire of an almost teenager to play the sport many of his friends play. I understand the need to discover, for yourself, what you’re capable of. I understand that this is only partly about sports, and more about life lessons, which is the only reason I’m on board. So this fall, we’ll have not one, but two boys in football, and one little guy still scoring on the soccer field.

It will be a nice change, I think. After I got over my initial surprise, I began to look forward to a year without the year-round soccer commitment. More time for play. More time for other sports. More time for skiing! More time for lots of other interests.

Now that’s something I can cheer for.

Field Day

June 1, 2009Parenting, sportsKirsetin

This is my 8th year volunteering at Field Day and I still love it. Next year, both of my older two boys will be done with Field Day, and I’ll only have this sweet one left to volunteer for. I love the look on his face as he races his buddies – especially the one where he’s peeking to the side to see who’s in front!

As I look through the photos from the day, I experience some sort of brain malfunction, where I understand the concept of time but not the reality of it. I know full well that there are 60 minute in every hour and 24 hours in every day. I understand that 12 months make a year and the clock never stops ticking. But somehow, I can’t comprehend that my babies are so big so fast. That my first is heading to middle school next year stops me cold. Field Day disappeared for him two years ago. That my second loses Field Day next year makes my brain foggy. Wasn’t he just 2? And now this one, this last little guy finally has a Field Day to call his own. No longer a helper on the sideline, shagging balls and handing the big boys water. His turn has finally come, and baby, he’s running his heart out.

Should Kids Hit with Sticks?

May 7, 2009sportsKirsetin

At our house, we’re used to soccer, football, tennis, and even track. We own enough cleats to open a store: The Dirty Used-Cleats Store, I think we’d call it. But this year, for the first time, one of our boys is trying something new.

He had to give up running track this year to give lacrosse a try, and he was a bit hesitant to do so. He deemed the first few practices “okay.” Then came the wettest, muddiest day ever. It poured all day, and that afternoon the boys practiced right through it. But that’s not all. When my son came home that day, I asked him how practice went. “Today was the BEST day,” he said. “We got to HIT, with STICKS.”

And there, folks, you have it. My son’s analysis of the best day of practice comes down to this: hitting is awesome.

I’m not sure I have anything to add to that!