I don't know if there is a word for the opposite of undefeated. A word that means every single game your team gets crushed and never come close to winning. But that's what Atticus' team was and it was adorably hilarious. They were called the Badgers and every week we were shocked to see how good the other team we played was, and equally shocked if our team scored a goal. Truly, we wondered how we managed to get such a group together instead of having them more dispersed throughout the other teams. Plus everyone on our team seemed to be about a foot shorter than the other teams. We concluded that our team was made up of all kids going into kindergarten the next year, where as other teams had a mix of current and future kindergartners. Not that we, as collective team parents, cared. We loved chuckling when one of our team members got bored and randomly walked off the field, or failed to notice the ball going right by them, or started throwing grass in the air. They were all very enthusiastic about snack and that's what's truly important for 5-year-old soccer players. So who cared that the actual games were a disaster. (Bless his coach's heart.)
Because each week we went and Atticus loved it, and was excited, and mostly didn't notice his team was being creamed. He played his heart out and he was always ready to go and focused on the game when it was his turn to play and mostly paying attention and chanting "Go Badgers!" when he was off the field. On the the day of his first game, he woke me up at 6:30 asking my opinion about which "sport shirt" he should wear as he had not yet received his jersey. And after the first game he said his favorite part was when his team "almost scored a goal".
For the first few games he was pretty nervous and even until the end, mostly stuck to the outside of the pack of children surrounding the ball. Dan liked to say he was "anticipating where the ball was going to be". Okay. But he did get the ball for at least a tiny bit most games and scored his very first goal in his very last game!
My favorite part of the entire season (Besides watching this adorable boy in his shorty-shorts chasing around a ball and mob of other 5-year-olds) came halfway through the very first game when Atticus came off the field from his turn in play and asked me: "Is this basketball?"
The green ball is Atticus' ball. He used it for practice and drills before the games.
His coach and some of the team. (And some of the tiny little goals)
Go Badgers!
His adorable little friend Giuseppe
(Playing with grass)
She was a pretty patient little cheerleader each week.
Practicing with dad after a game.
Team meeting. They're very attentive.
I love this.
Getting the ball during an actual game!
Shorty-shorts. (Yeah, they're size 18 month. So what? Oh, and he's wearing my socks.)
Dan and Jonny out on a walk during practice.
Stealing the ball!
She kept herself entertained with Yeah-Yeah's ball during actual game time.
This was from his last game yesterday. I'm not sure if this is when he scored his goal or not.
Team picture. (Giuseppe!)
And a funny-face shot
He is so pleased with his "trophy" and has been wearing it ever since.
(Side note. Although I have no problems with it while they're super young like this, but I really feel like the fact that growing up we all got trophy's, participation awards, prizes, etc, no matter what, has really played into this millennial sense of entitlement so many of us seem to be struggling with. Okay. I won't go into that further here.)
But seriously. How cute is this kid?
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