la_rainette | Soccer Night

Soccer season is over. There is one last game left to play, and then Froglet's lovely shinguards and Special Puma Shoes will join the baseball equipment in a closet in the play room.

rainette: get ready, Froglet! Time to go play soccer!
Froglet: YAY! Can you help me get my socks on?

The socks go over the shinguards, and they come in only one size: Too Big. They go all the way to Froglet's upper thighs, thus making it look as if she's wearing leggings under her shorts. They make her already big feet look HUGE.

rainette: PUSH YOUR FOOT IN!
Froglet: I'm trying, I'm trying!

So huge that she has a hard time squeezing her feet into her shoes. It takes a long time to get her ready to go, and we're always a bit late, since we're culturally unable to eat dinner early enough to be on time for the games.

Have you ever seen 6-year-olds play soccer? It's priceless.

Look here, this is the offensive position, also known as The Brick(TM): a tight group of kids, huddled together, preceded by a ball. They all look and run in the exact same direction, i.e. wherever the ball is headed. The defensive position, also The Brick(TM), looks the exact same, though it appears to be a little further away from the ball. Occasionally, both teams mix and you see the Mosaic Cuboid(TM) emerge, just as compact and ball-dependent as the two other versions of The Brick.

But there is absolutely no way that you will convince 6-year-old children to stay behind and Keep Their Positions and not run in close formation after the ball.

rainette: What do you like most about soccer, Froglet? Hey, I'm sure I know: eating a popsicle after the game!
Froglet: well, actually, no. What I like most is running after the ball!

And run, she does, my Froglet. She is usually to be spotted right at the center of The Brick(TM), where she does her utmost to run after the ball while always staying safely out of reach, lest her foot accidentally collides with it. She never so much kicks the ball than trips on it.

The truth is, she is Considerate and hates hurting her friends' feelings. If they want the ball -- and they do, so much more than she does, really -- well, let them have it! If it makes them happy, it makes her happy. She is content just to run with them, after them, and partake in the fun. She has a very reasonable approach to Winning. She doesn't really feel that concerned about results, in general.

Froglet: Winning isn't important. The most important is to Have Fun and Do One's Best.
rainette: Oh. Does that mean you lost?
Froglet *cheerful and unconcerned*: I don't know.

And she usually doesn't. She is too busy watching the ball to keep count of the occasional goals (which to be honest are mostly the result of inexperienced fumbling on the part of the goal-keeper and have little to do with the actual skills of the players).

But then, she is also 6.

rainette *hasn't followed count either, but asked the dads, they usually do*: Froglet! YOU WON!
Froglet: We did?
rainette: YES!
Froglet: YAY! WE WON! WOOHOO! *hugs rainette*

My favourite moment comes at the end of the game.

The coaches line them up, and make them walk past each other, shaking each hand in the process. "Good game!", they say. "Good game!"

And then they break up like a flock of impatient birds and run, as fast as they can, to the Duty Parent (responsible for bringing snacks or popsicles), and if you're Duty Parent, you better make sure you have enough popsicles for two teams of excited soccer players, their siblings (assorted sizes) and even the occasional dehydrated parent.

Watch their little faces, sweaty and happy and excited, light up as they taste their poscicles. Watch them telling their parents about their exploits, in very loud, proud voices. Watch them waving goodbye to each other, bye-bye, see you next time.

I'm going to miss soccer, and so is my Froglet.

Soccer season's over -- but that's OK, come to think of it. Skating season is just around the corner *starts counting days*