new season

Big Brother started his new soccer season today, his first in a couple of years that I am not his coach. I've already seen some things I should have done differently as a coach, lessons learned for next season perhaps. Though it shouldn't be assumed that I love the coach, because he tries a little bit to bring the Jesus, and I'm not sure quite how I feel about that. He seems mostly harmless, but . . .

Part of me wants to say our kids beat the crap out of those other kids, because it's true. But another part of me feels bad saying something like that about a bunch of six to eight year olds. I really do romanticize youth soccer and want it to be about the game, not the wins or losses. I'd be lying if I pretended that I didn't want my kid's team to win though, so let's not make that assumption. But there is a level at which you have to be more concerned with the lessons than the successes.

My own proudest moments, beyond that Big Brother scored twice is that he actually passed the ball pretty well a couple of times, one of which came off a stop that he made that led to a goal. It was that initial assist that is one of soccer's beauties, that stop that becomes a well placed pass that is the assist we count as the next pass puts the ball at the feet of the guy that actually scores the goal.

I miss coaching, but I think that I've been shown that it was time to step back. This will give Big Brother a chance to decide if he likes soccer because he likes it or because I like it.

I suppose that's it for soccer tonight. I'm not talking about my own because I'm still awaiting the phone call. I'm thinking, if the kids have started playing, I should have. I may have been overlooked in the calling process for random reason, though I'm being very passive in getting my shit together. I want to play, but I kind of just don't know that I'm feeling it currently.