a rocky end to an interesting season

My girls have come a long way this year. My total lack of understanding soccer paperwork and their lack of history with anything resembling organized sports didn't help matters, but we made it through.

We had our last game on Wednesday, returning to our seemingly only competitor this season, Clifton Middle School. In some stroke of genius from the athletics department, they decided that since McReynolds didn't have a boys team and Clifton didn't have a boys team then the logical choice would be for all of our district games to be played against each other. Excellent. After a few complaints from my principal we managed to get our uniforms (three games into the season) and one more team to play.

After losing miserably to Clifton the first game, we pulled out two ties and a win (versus Deady). Then came our last game, four players out for various reasons and my goalie not eligible to play because she refused to serve Mr. Graham's detention. This, this is the game my principal decides to show up to. Yes, please show up after not being around for the past eight months and criticize the fact that I don't have any subs.

Given the fact that half the field was underwater, I was illegally playing a sixth grader (a point that Barrett made infront of my principal) and I had a girl in the goal who didn't understand when she could pick up the ball, I'd say we did not horribly bad, but just mildly bad. We lost 2-0. Kind of a depressing end to our season. I wanted more for them, I wanted them to see that all their hard work paid off, but unfortunately that wasn't in the cards for us this go round.

If anything I feel like this less than stellar season result will push my returning seventh graders to work harder and pay more attention next year. Like anything else in my life these days I seem to be making long term plans and big goals for soccer as well. I want to find a way to send some of my more dedicated players to soccer camp and I'm also wondering if there's a way to get the city to sponsor some type of city league play during the summer.

Anything to get better than 2-0.