Spring Soccer

Playing soccer is an Oates family passion, that started when James and I were both kids. We have continued with our kids and started when Zach was 5. We LOVE spring soccer! The season is shorter, the coaches are more laid back and we don't have to deal with fundraisers or picture day, all in all, it makes for a great 6 weeks and a really fun time for the kids.This season, Zach is playing 10 and under and we played Gracie up a division (convenience & her height/skill level) so they are on the same team and Hope is playing 6 and under. They were all excited for their first game and I was looking forward to it as well. Zach had been planning a trip to my Grandma's house for the weekend in Escondido, so he missed the first game.The girls wanted hair bows to match their uniforms, so I made them each a "soccer" hair bow and they turned out really cute. Gracie has a friend from church, Clara Prins, on her team, so I made one for her too! :)Game day, although it is fun to watch them play can be a very long day, as it was today...James had inspections in the desert, so it was just me and the 4 younger ones. Hope's game was at 9, so we were at the field at 8:30 and then Gracie's game wasn't until 12. The gap in the game time wasn't enough time to trek back to the truck and load up only to unload and trek back up to the fields with the boys, so we just stayed at the fields. I brought lots of drinks and snacks and we got lunch from the taco lady at the fields and managed to keep occupied chatting with some friends in between games.Hope's team played a good game and she was very excited to play in her very first real soccer game :) In the 6 and under division they don't keep score yet and there isn't a goalie, so that was all good. Gracie's team also played very well, but got beat BAD. I think it was like 12 to 2. They knew it too and some of them got a little disappointed, but Hope reminded me and another mom that "soccer isn't about winning, it's about having fun and working together as a team!" I guess she must have heard that somewhere before...hehe!
This picture cracks me up! The balls getting thrown in behind her and she's looking at the camera :)Even after 5 hours at the soccer field, the day ended up being lots of fun and the kids did great! It helped that after such a long day when we got home James was home and we all got to go to a birthday party and the kids got to jump in a bouncy house and have cake :)