All Soccer, All Day

This past weekend this kids officially started their soccer season.

Omar was crazy excited, this boy LOVES to play soccer!

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Kickoff time… Even though he only had one practice he still did awesome out there. He just loves being on that field.DSC_0014

 

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There was a point in the game where his cleat came off his foot… he picked that bad boy up and went running after the ball. The coach had to blow a whistle and take a minute to get him to stop playing. I love it.DSC_0018

 

 

He sat out the third quarter and was PACING the sidelines to get back into the game. Someone got tired so back in he went… and proceeded to tie up the game! Goooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllll!

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Mckenna had her first game as well… MUCH bigger field!

DSC_0051Mckenna played left forward and did pretty well, it’s been awhile since she played so I don’t know that she was 100% ready for the speed of the game again! Her team is coming together though!

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(Remind me to get her some bigger shin guards, those look ridiculous!)

On the sidelines we weren’t as prepared as some (no tents, coolers or umbrellas for us!) but we did have Safeway donuts!

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Then she got put in as goalie which drove me crazy because she has NEVER played or even practiced as goalie. She did a good job and stopped quite a few shots. I think only one got past her.

DSC_0093It’s going to be a crazy season for me… MANY of their games overlap so I am going to have to ask for help from other parents to make it work. No one is happy with that but it’s the best I can do!

 

 

Pro Bowl Practice

One of the cool things about living in Hawaii is the fact that we get to host the Pro Bowl. While we weren’t planning on going to the Pro Bowl itself, we did go to the practice that took place on Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam. We braved the rain and mud and left with NO Redskins signatures! We had a good time anyways!

redskinsWe had FOUR Redskins players to be chosen for the Pro Bowl (curse you RGIII for getting hurt!) London Fletcher was the big draw for us but we just could not get close enough for an autograph (planning on stalking him until he leaves the island though!)

playersIt was pretty cool to watch them practice although it looked pretty half-hearted. I mean I think they practice for real at one of the local high schools, this was more a publicity we heart our military thing. The kids did get up close and personal with a bunch of players but didn’t get any signatures because they were waiting for the Redskins players to come their way.

I will say I was not prepared for the crowds that turned out! I got there about an hour and a half before the start time and it was already packed. Also everyone came ready with chair, coolers and duffel bags FULL of stuff to get signed! So next year I’ve already decided I’ll be getting there at the crack of dawn to stake out a spot at the fence on the 50 yard line.

 

 

End of the Season

So today was our last regular season game. We lost. Again. Really though I had SO much fun learning to play flag football with a great bunch of lhadies. We still have the playoffs/championship but that doesn’t start for a few weeks. Which is great because I jammed the hell out of my right ring finger on the VERY first play of the game today and it is killing me! It’s all bruised and swollen. Fabulous. One of those things that you don’t realize how much you use a body part until it’s injured. I can’t straighten it or bend it without it hurting. Even though I got hurt missing a flag and my hand hitting the ground I am still proud that I went for it. My whole life I have always been the girl that will not sacrifice her body for the ball. Nope, not me. And now I am regularly throwing myself after people and getting injured and banged up. I am loving it! At the ripe old age of 31 I am on a team for the first time in my life. Yes really. No sports really at all for me period. I’ve told people my whole life that I am not an athlete, I am a nerd. And while I am by no means the fastest or strongest out there, I am pulling my own weight and knocking some big girls on their butts out there!

I love being on the other side, I’ve always been the cheerleader (not literally, I mean that I am on the sidelines) of friends games, my husband’s games, my kids’ multiple multiple sports. I love that I have a team that counts on me to play a part. We have fun on and off the field.  It’s an interesting dynamic and I am glad that I finally did it. I have tried recruiting some of the other women I’ve met on the island to come play with me and it’s been a pretty resounding ‘no thanks, I’m not athletic’. But it’s so much more than just being in shape. I think joining a team is a great thing for every woman to try, especially moms because they very rarely ever have time ‘just for them’.

Off to nurse my poor finger and hopefully get a call from my husband! Another port visit equals LOTS of phone calls (ran out of skype credit yesterday, whoops!) I am trying to get him to ‘guest blog’ his port visits but he’s not too thrilled with the idea. Maybe if I can ever get the pictures I’ll post them!