Skylar's 2014 Soccer Season

Skylar's first year playing soccer just wrapped up over the weekend and I don't think we could of been more sad to see the season end.  Skylar played for Carlsbad United for the Girls Under 6 division.  Her teams name was the Flying Unicorns.  When I signed Skylar up I think I was more excited for her to play than she was.  I thought it would be great for her to do a team sport and meet some new girls.  

I took the afternoon off for her first practice since I knew she was going to be nervous.  She was extremely shy and I can still remember when the coaches put the girls in a big circle to kick the ball to each other and introduce themselves when the ball came to Skylar and she was supposed to tell everyone her name, she burst into tears.  Trust me, she wasn't the only girl in tears that day.  Some wouldn't even get out of their parents laps, but even with tears Skylar continued to practice for the whole hour. 

Lucky for us Skylar's shyness didn't last very long and she really started enjoying soccer and playing with all the girls.  We think a lot of it had to do with her friendship with Tova.  Tova was like a big sister to Skylar during the season.  She was very sweet to our Skylar and really made her feel more comfortable.

Game days were always so much fun to watch.  Skylar was the smallest and the slowest on her team so it wasn't always easy for her to get many touches on the ball, but she didn't care.  She still ran up and down the field the entire game.  She also wasn't very aggressive.  Whenever she did touch the ball it wouldn't be for long since she would usually back off  the ball whenever someone else got close.  Either way, she didn't seem to care that much, because she always had a smile on her face during the entire game. On a funny side note, Skylar wasn't ever nervous during the games, only during halftime when the oranges came out for snack.  She was so afraid during those first few games that someone was going to force her to eat one.  Yes, she is 4 1/2 and still refusing to eat any fruit.

Even without having many touches, Skylar did hold the coveted honor of scoring the Flying Unicorns first goal of the season.  It was her only goal of the season, but it was still a special one.  The below picture is her break away for that goal.  I got so excited I stopped taking pictures and had to watch her make her first goal.

Being hit in the tummy by the ball.  She had a couple tears but stayed in the game.

Getting/giving congrats at the end of each game.

I must admit I turned into a total soccer mom.  I was the one on the sidelines screaming and shouting at Skylar during each game.   At one game I even had other parents cheering on Skylar name because I was shouting so much.  I think sometimes my cheering would distract her because if she was close by and heard me shouting for her she would run over during the game and give me a hug.  I'm pretty sure I embarrassed Jake and Madden more than once during the season.

Our girl doing her best to keep up with the ball.

Taking a goal kick.

This face pretty much sums Madden up during soccer season.  Madden would experience meltdowns at each and every game, (even practices) and Jake and I couldn't figure out why.  I think he was the only one who was happy the season came to an end.

Handling a throw in for the team.  

At the end of each game the parents formed a tunnel for the girls to run through.  I think this may have been Skylar's favorite part of the game.

After our last game the parents put together a quick party at a park for the girls to receive their trophies.   It was so cute to see how much the girls had grown from their first practice.  Several were shy and intimated in the beginning and then watching them at the end running around and playing so well together really was such a joy. 

I also think we really lucked out with our coaches.  Skylar really needed to be with coaches who were all about the girls having fun and not the number of wins and that is who we got.  They would sprinkle pixie dust on the girls before games and were just so supportive during the entire season. I felt so bad because after the party Skylar was asking if she was going to have the same coaches next year and I had to tried to explain to her most likely she wouldn't.  

Jake and I couldn't of been more proud of our Soccer All-Star and we all can't wait until next year....well, maybe Madden can wait.