My sporting weekend actually began on Thursday, when I had to bounce back and forth between two different fields watching Geeky Boy play soccer and Geeky Girl play field hockey. The soccer game was the last of the season so there were more parents than usual. I watched for a few minutes and then hit the field hockey game, where the PTO was selling baked goods and pretzels to raise money for new track uniforms. I was greeted enthusiastically by the other moms, quite a contrast to how I’d felt at the last field hockey game. I didn’t pay much attention to the actual game as there was a carnival-like atmosphere on the sidelines. I chatted with one mom about the web site, and a couple of others about the craft-costume-baked good fiasco. All of us, apparently, had been running around like crazy people until well into the night. I confessed to using a mix for the cornbread. The response was, Well of course you did. Who wouldn’t?
After the game was over, I gave Geeky Girl money to buy a preztel and some water and headed to the soccer game. Geeky Girl met me there and we cheered the team on. Geeky Boy scored in the last few minutes of the game, winning the game for the team. It was pretty exciting.
Saturday, it poured rain off and on and we thought for sure the game would be canceled. But it wasn’t, so I stood on the sidelines with the other moms under our umbrellas. We complained that the game should have been called. When I told the other moms that I was going out after the game, they told me I shouldn’t even be out there. I did leave early, sending Geeky Girl home with the coach. I have no idea the outcome of the game. It was called, in fact, not long after I left.
Sunday, Geeky Boy had his last game before the playoffs. He plays goalie for this team, which makes me nervous every time. I spent much of the game yelling that the ref wasn’t calling offsides or pushing and pushing the players to “go to the ball.” I was a bad soccer parent. They lost the game, but it was a good day to be outside.
It’s all almost over for this year, all this running around from game to game, keeping soccer socks and uniforms clean, and hauling lawn chairs in the trunk of the car. I won’t lie. I won’t miss it. But I’m very glad the kids do it every year and that they enjoy it. Geeky Boy is talking about doing winter soccer so that he has something to do before lacrosse season. And Geeky Girl is planning either lacrosse or soccer in the spring. I don’t have to push them to sign up. They ask me to sign them up. As long as that’s the case, I’ll keep doing it.
