PlazaJen: Passion Knit

So, I decided to head over to a 'bitty soccer game' last night; my friend Beth's daughter Amy has been practicing & playing in the YMCA league the past few weeks, and their games are just south of our house.

Let me just say that watching 4 & 5 year olds play soccer, and I use the word "play" quite loosely here, is one of the funniest things you could ever ask to see. They're all different sizes & heights, but the jerseys are all the same size. So some of them are dwarfed in their uniform, others look like it fits just right. Direction is a big thing most of the players still need to work on. Understanding the concept of making a goal is also optional. One little girl just idly lay in the grass, watching from a distance. Three kids lined up at the goal, even though the ball was at the other end. One child got control of the soccer ball, and kicked it right on out of the boundaries, and headed to the next field with the ball, with about 5 of his teammates all running behind him. There were a couple of boys, almost ringers by comparison, who really got into the game, and you know that they'll continue to play the game as they get older. The rest, well, they were just plain cute. Funny to watch, funnier to see them struggling to figure out which way to kick the ball, and there were almost as many parents on the field as kids. For those just taking pictures, that was fine, but one guy held his kid's hand the entire time & actually stopped the ball repeatedly so his son could kick the ball. Dude. Cut the cord!

My favorite player, besides Miss Amy, who was splendiferous with her pigtails, pink cleats & gold shinguards (she is a fashion maven at the ripe age of 4), was the little red-cheeked boy on the other team, who, every time the ball arrived at his feet, would bend down, pick it up & then scream bloody murder when the refs came to rescue the ball. Miss Amy just shook her head. She knows you don't ever touch the ball with your hands!

I tried to take pictures with my cameraphone, but they didn't come out so well. This is a cute one of Miss Amy from Beth's site - note those shinguards!!!