Soccer Tournament - First Ever

This past weekend, we had a very full day of soccer games; a tournament that was the culmination of a season beginning last fall. Madeline and Katie were both blessed to be on wonderful teams with great coaches and great teammates. For both girls, this was the first foray into soccer. In fact, when they started, neither of them knew the difference between soccer, football, basketball, volleyball, baseball, or the balls used in each. Aside from swimming, this season was the first time they played any sport. We were expecting a fun time and some learning.

We had the following games last Saturday (each on a different field of the church complex):
12:40 - Madeline
1:50 - Madeline
Maddie's team at a yogurt place to celebrate between scheduled games and playoffs
2:30 - Katie
3:00 - Katie
playoff games for Maddie to follow at 4:10 or 4:45, depending
a party for Katie beginning after her final game ended around 3:30

WHEW!

I will dedicate this particular post to Madeline's games that Saturday. I was able, for the first time all season, to get some really good pictures of her team, and her in action. During Katie's games later in the day, however, I was busy juggling a tired and fussy baby. Thankfully, one of the other moms on that team has an awesome camera and is usually very generous with her pictures. Hopefully, she'll share and I will post them later.


Madeline found herself increasingly playing defense or goalie as the season wore on. Here, she is wearing the goalie jersey. Please look at the little stick legs between the shorts and the tall socks. Those legs could really propel her quickly! We had to find a pair of size small shorts to go with her medium jersey, and cinch them in with a drawstring.

It turns out that Madeline is very fast (please keep this all in the perspective that she is playing with 6-8 year old girls in the 1st and 2nd grade league, most of whom are timid on the field) and pretty determined. She became an aggressive player as she developed understanding of the game, and was reliable in charging an opponent and stealing the ball from them. She is very determined to protect her goal. Defense is her place to shine, I guess. Here she stands in front of her goal waiting for the game to begin.


I zoomed in on a couple of shots I got of her defending her zone as goalie.


Her team had a good record for the season, and won one of the two tournament games. They were matched exactly with another team for the championship, and ended up playing a "kickoff" game at 4:10. It was structured so that whichever team scored first would advance to the championship game at 4:45, while the other team joined the playoff game scheduled to take place right then on that field. The two teams were well matched and played hard, and Madeline had a couple of really good saves. After awhile, the ref blew his whistle and each team had to restructure so that there were only 5 players on the field, rather than 6. They would have played all the way down to 1 on 1 until someone scored, but, unfortunately for Maddie's team, the purple team got one into the net. The good news was that we were playing the final game immediately, since we were already missing Katie's swimming party for her team.


There was a platform and PA system set up that day. Once each team (it seemed like there were a million of them, between boys and girls teams for all the different age groups) finished it's final game of the day, it had an awards ceremony there. Thankfully, playoffs started for some ages the night before, and final games were staggered throughout the day.

Madeline was given special recognition by her two coaches as the most improved player and the best defender. She was beaming as she accepted her team medal. (All the participants in the program received these.) Again, please notice the legs.


Franz and I didn't know she had it in her, but she was a good little athlete, and a great team player. She demonstrated great concentration, quick learning, and lots of determination! All in all, it was a wonderful introduction to team sports, a huge self-esteem booster, and probably the beginning of several soccer seasons for Madeline. (She is second from left in the back row.)