Soccer season... eventually

Hello, friends! 

It's Spring time, which means that the youth soccer season is upon us! Ezra's team, The Black Widows, is back and I'm back in the saddle as the head coach. 

I'm pretty sure that I've mentioned this before but I have exactly ZERO soccer experience, so coaching has been an adventure. There's an old clip from the Simpsons that always comes to mind at the beginning of the soccer season:

This Spring Season will be a little bit easier because this is our second season in the 3rd/4th grade division. The kids are a little more acclimated to the size of the field and what it takes to play good offense and defense as a team. 

Really, there's only one thing that's keeping us from having a really good season... the weather... 

Winter and Spring have been really weird out here in Omaha. It feels like April and February switched places. During February and the first part of March, the weather was consistently in the 60's and 70's and I was certain that we were going to have a terrible summer. Well, as soon as Soccer season started, February decided that it wanted to make an appearance. 

Our first match was scheduled for March 23rd. Unfortunately, the temps were too cold to play (in the 20's with a wind chill). Our next practice the following Monday had to be cancelled because the field was too wet to play. We didn't have a game scheduled for last Saturday (on account of Easter) but then our practice that was supposed to happen a few days ago got cancelled AGAIN because it rained all day Monday and the field was no good again. 

For the past 2 Mondays, I have been in a bit of a funk, namely because it's my call on whether or not we cancel practice. On the one hand, I want the kids to have fun and they have fun playing soccer. On the other hand, I need to keep the safe. On the other hand, making a late cancellation is a big of a headache for parents who need to change plans. On the OTHER hand though, the parents don't want to be out there in the cold and wet while their kids get good and muddy. I'm pretty sure I've made the right call both weeks but I haven't liked it. 

Soccer season will eventually officially start. We'll play some games and we'll score some goals. We'll give up some goals and everyone will get a snack. Ezra will hopefully enjoy himself and I'll hopefully put the kids in a position to be competitive. Then we'll wait a few months and do it all over again. 

If you live in the Omaha area and want to see some youth soccer, we're playing @ 9:30am at the Maple Street Y for the next 6 weeks. Let me know you're coming and we'd be happy to look for you. 

#GoBlackWidows

~Adam