Two sons finished off their fall soccer season with games on both days of this weekend. Perfect fall weather made for such pleasant family outings. Bright red and white uniformed boys ran up and down the green while we stood cheering with the other parents. Little brother was bundled in his stroller, holding court as family friends came to admire him. The sun was so bright and the air so cold, my eyes still feel the pleasant sting of the fall as I now sit in our warm house.
Both boys love the energy of the game and the charge of competition, and this all-inclusive club sport has provided us with strong community ties for the last eight years. Particularly with the parents of our eldest, I feel like we're all learning to be good parents as we process each stage of childhood together, the latest being the segue to high school.
Each team wrapped up with a celebration of the season, and not a lick of attention was given to wins and losses in our hot chocolate toasts to the players. I'll miss side-line conversations with my buddies--even with off-season visits, the flow of conversation is not the same as the gems of wisdom that are uncovered during a game, from classroom challenges to middle school romance, orthodontics, religious education, hair cuts, cell phone use. After players decimated plates of brownies and doughnuts, they were all drawn back onto the field for their last run down the field, their last kick into the goal. Until spring.
