a soccer tale

once upon a time, but really only a couple years ago, there was this mother who was looking for a soccer team for her daughter and a father who was doing the same for his own.  although the specifics of where and how they met have never been discussed, it certainly proved at perfect union.  to make a long story short, through word of mouth referrals and many frantic phone calls, a team of eager young girls emerged within just a few short days.

over the next few seasons, their skills progressed quickly along with their friendships.  although they didn't always focus or play soccer perfectly (who does?) all the time, their friendships have remained steady and they have consistently been a team to watch out for.

finally, coach decided it was time to really test their skills and entered them in a tournament six hours south of their home field.  there were some who wondered what he was thinking.  why take this group of girls to play against teams from even further south, who practice and play year round, without the debilitating effects of snow and cold.  weren't we just feeding them to the wolves and setting them up for defeat and failure?  but most felt that no matter the outcome, the experience of playing high caliber teams, combined with travel from our dreary valley to greener pastures, was going to benefit the team.
so...we ordered new uniforms, conditioned, packed up the cars and made the trip south.  not forgetting to pack the hope that these girls would be able to show what they are capable of.

and did they ever.  all three games they played were nail biters, with the final scores either tied or separated by only one point.  when it came time to determine which teams would play in the finals, our snow bunnies missed out by only one point. one point!!! they were eliminated on the fourth and final, "in the event of a tie in this category..."

we cared, but only for a few minutes.  then we high-fived, told coach thanks and took them to lunch.  and then to the park.  and then for ice-cream. and then to a trampoline gym.  and then to a hot shower.  and finally bed.

unfortunately, tournament champions are determined by who wins and loses.  how you play doesn't always guarantee a trophy or ribbon.  but, for this group of girls, how they played the games really did show what they are made of.  i can't wait for the snow to melt, spring to come, and soccer to start right back up where it left off.

i still haven't figured out how to not miss a second of the game and take pictures at the same time.  i even spied a fellow mother with her long lens and asked her to document my daughter's childhood.  it's not like she packed her camera just to document her families life, right?