Spring in Winter

Since the moment Sam's fall soccer league ended, he's been asking when soccer would start again, so when we got the much-anticipated email about an upcoming winter indoor soccer camp, we signed up immediately.  And last Sunday we dug out the shin guards and dusted off sam's blue size 3 soccer ball and headed to SMU's Gostomski Fieldhouse. 

Before SMU's men's soccer coach Pete Watkins sent our children off into their individual age groups behind the netted courts and parents settled around outside on the soft clay-colored indoor track, Coach welcomed us all and told us that there were 80 kids signed up for the program. Sam was assigned to Coach Joe and he hiked up his jeans and followed a tall skinny college kid back behind the hanging tarp that divided the courts.  Eva sat on the ground between my knees filling in colored patterns on her nabi while Coach Watkins thanked us all for coming and said that this kind of turnout for a town this size is amazing.  And he's right.  We owe that kind of interest and attendance to a small group of engaged and supportive parents and community members that started and grew the Winona Euro Football Club.

It was Sam's first time playing soccer indoors, but he loved the footskills instruction and the focus on teamwork and the back and forth rounds of Red Light Green Light.  And I loved once again watching my son enjoy running and kicking and making friends and gaining confidence in himself.  Just a few short months before he'll get to lace up his cleats and get out on the grass and start spring soccer.  And in the mean time, he's got a great local program to satisfy his appetite for the sport he now loves to play.