Spring Soccer Season

 While the soccer season isn't quite over yet, it's close enough. It should be over, but both my boys each have a make-up game this week. I feel like the weather has been crazy all over the country and we have definitely felt it here too. Yes, it's true that we get a lot of rain in the spring, however, this year takes the cake during soccer season (last year it all came in June when soccer season was over and we were trying to get our sunroom started.) We had more canceled practices this season due to rain than ever since my boys have been playing soccer. It is true that we practice "rain or shine", but when there are buckets and buckets of rain that make the fields so wet that they're going to be compromised, then they have to cancel, and obviously do for lightening as well. At least most of the cancelations were for practices and not as many games. Also, we have been able to make up all the games, so that's what counts.

Besides the rain, this has been a more difficult soccer season schedule. Both Austin and Erik had practice at the exact same time at two different locations. It made for some creative driving and Austin's ability to get his own phone, about a month before his 13th birthday (which is coming up). Also, the beginning of the soccer season was the end of swim season for Austin and then it rolled right into track season, which he's also participating in. It turned out that the track meets were on Wednesdays, one of the nights of Austin's soccer practices and Youth Night for our ward. Since there are only 3 Deacons in our ward and Jason is over the Deacons, Austin would usually go right from a track meet to the church and miss soccer practice those days, which, by the time the meet was over, the practice pretty much was too. 

So, in a way, the only day affected by the practices at two different parks only affected us half the time, and the 5 or so canceled practices due to rain were fine, but they were ironically on nights where the Youth activity wasn't happening due to some random events. It was just a weird season.

That all being said, my boys had pretty awesome seasons! Austin's teammates, who because they are all in middle school and since this isn't a travel team, all do other sports. I have the feeling they didn't practice together much. In fact, at one game, one kid kept calling another kid by the wrong name and asked another what his name was. So they didn't know each other very well, but they played well! They have their last game this weekend, but they have no losses and two ties! Lots of the time they rarely have any subs too. I guess they could place first or second in the league for the season, depending on how they work those ties. His team didn't enter the Canton Cup this year. Go Avengers!

Erik's team lost two games, so far. They have their last this week. But, they got second place in the Canton Cup this weekend! They actually beat one of the teams that beat them in the regular season, which is the team two of his best friends are on. The Canton Cup doesn't put any weight on the regular season, but they could still place second in the league for the season overall. Go Sharks!

This was one of the games we didn't cancel but probably should have. It wasn't a great game because the ball wouldn't bounce, just splashed into puddles with a big SPLAT! The boys had fun though!

I love seeing his tongue out in concentration!

This was at the Canton Cup. He played goalie for part of the game too. He's very good at defense!

It was a very tough final game, but we were happy to receive second place. The ref complimented Erik on his goalie skills!

Coach!

Grandma Pat is here!