Resident Evil, aka Cupcake, has had a busy month. In addition to several projects due and the angst over what to be for Halloween, she also wrapped up soccer season. Or so we thought.
Soccer ended, but it didn't. I mean, now they are in tournaments, which is great when it's warm and not so great when you have to bundle up like you're about to go skiing just to sit on the sidelines and yell out instructions for a game you never played and really don't know squat about.
The team is doing great. On Tuesday, they beat a team that was undefeated. Resident Evil was elated, but later she mentioned to me that she didn't think she got much time on the field. Her big brother, jerk that he can be, pointed it out to her and that got her to thinking.
"I know I'm not the best player on the team, but I still like to play," she ventured.
"Do you feel like you've done a good job this year?" I asked.
"I've done my best."
And that is all we want from her. She's athletic, but tentative. It's taking her awhile to figure out how to be aggressive enough on the field so that she can shine. She's skilled with her feet and does a pretty good job of knowing where to be on the field, but she still lacks the aggression that some of the other players demonstrate.
If she's like The Dancer, she'll get there. When The Dancer was her age, she played on a co-ed team and held back, too. When she got to high school, she made the team and was often a starter. Sadly, she had to quit the team in her Junior year because she had to choose between the ballet company and the soccer team. Her choice was obvious. (And expensive, dammit.)
I'm glad that Resident Evil continues to want to play. As always, the law of benign neglect applies. We don't let our kids join things and quit, but if they don't want to sign up for a new season, we don't make them.
I overheard The Actor encouraging her. Maybe he was feeling guilty about pointing out that she sat out a lot of Tuesday's game. He even offered to help her train for next season. She hesitated. I wondered if she did so because The Actor can be incredibly intense about sports. Annoyingly so.
"I'm better than I was last year and next year I'll get even better," Resident Evil announced with the confidence that improvement has given her.
The Actor snorted. "Yeah, well, that ain't saying much."
"Shut up or I'll kick you in the balls harder than I ever kicked the soccer ball," Resident Evil shot back.
So much for the harmony, rainbows and unicorns moment.
22 comments:
Sounds like a good way for her to practice to me!
It's good she has a positive attitude, and I congratulate you and MathMan for not putting a lot of pressure on her. In my 10 years of watching my son swim, I saw parents make jackasses of themselves by yelling at their children for not winning a race.
My swimmer was no Michael Phelps, but he had a passion for the sport. So much so that he is now coaching in FLA.
Good luck to Evil.
Hah! I love that kid. She is something else- strong life force.
But then you all have that.
Hers however may be stronger...
Oh, I love her so. I really do.
Heh, sounds like our oldest, too tentative on the pitch (damn you, Fox Soccer Channel!) Just get her to visualize her bro next year, the aggression will come.
I like her. She's smart and spunky. And obviously a beautiful child. :-)
My kids weren't into sports at all. But then again neither were their father and me. SG1 played field hockey for a season and did about as well as you've described RE has done. Except that she decided not to continue.
You and MM are like we were. We didn't encourage quiting but we didn't make them continue things they weren't that keen on pursuing. It's served them well. They had opportunities to try a lot of different things and as they got older then zoned in on those that interested them the most.
I think that the baby is learning team work and she certainly is a good sportsman. Plus she did contribute to the teams victory tonight! Now there is only one more game - the Final!
I love these posts from you DCup..I miss the whole kid family thing in a way.
I hope RE stays athletically active it does so much for them in all areas of their lives. My niece got a full ride scholarship to a good college on her softball abilities...which was a godsend because my sister couldn't afford to send her to that good a college, if one at all.
I love her line about the actor and his family jewels..woot! ;p
i hate to sound like a broken record but RE sounds like an incredibly smart, caring, wonderful person.
With great parents like you and MM she'll be fine
She sounds like her head is on straight and you are doling out incredible encouragment - that's the way it's done. Congrats.
Great job all the way round. Even the actor. His pushing brought her "game" I think it's called. Oh how we love your family.
Sounds like Resident Evil found that well of aggressiveness that she can draw on. Just bring the Actor to every game. That should do it.
These are the kinds of moments (the final rejoinder by R.E.) that I find difficult as a parent.
On the one hand, I feel it's my responsibility to teach them appropriate and respectful language and when it happens right in front of my face, somehow always get drawn in a peace-keeper.
On the other hand, I want to laugh out loud and give a high-five.
So, since I am not the parental unit for R.E. I say: Nice one!
DCup, you can rightly be proud of your kids. They are genuinely precious. Maybe it's a good thing you left Chicago. . .kids grow up too fast there, stray too far there.
I am loving R.E. And that's a sentence I never thought I'd write!
I think her name should be President Evil. She's a tough cookie like her mom.
When you said bring protection, did you mean guys should wear a cup??
Great post, I love hearing about your family moments. It really brings me back to growing up with a big honkin' fam with lots of sisters & brothers, and all that competition... whew.
RE sounds like a great kid.
Yow! That kid's got your mouth, DCup. For better or worse!
She's got moxie and the mouth to back it up. She'll do juuuuust fine.
I love that kid. I hope she won't carry out the threat to the Actor, but it's good to know that she's not afraid to kick some ass or other parts if she needs to.
Youth sports = total waste of time.
Anonymous-
I'm sorry (not really). That's probably the dumbest comment I've ever read.
Congratulations.
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