Monday, October 18, 2010



Kenters,

Oh Kenters. I love you so much. That is why I am forcing you to continue on with your soccer season even thought you are not too fond of the game. You are in Tiny Tots soccer which is where you practice for a 1/2 hour, and then you play a game for a 1/2 hour. You do great in the practice time. You run, you kick, you talk with your friends. But then the actual game time comes, and each of the last two weeks, you've came off the field crying within the first 2 minutes, and you refuse to go back. I tried bribing you with Mike and Ikes just to stay on the field with your team. I tried bribing you with money to finish the game..then I finally threatened you with a grounding, but it was to no avail. You simply do not want to be on the field. This last game I had to take you to sit in the car because you were screaming and I didn't want to bother other people.

I'm not sure what it is. You are a great athlete. You know what to do with the ball. I think it is the fact that there is a ton of kids packed on a small field, and you get overwhelmed and confused. You told me, "Sometimes I forget which is my goal", and "Sometimes, those kids are too big", and "Sometimes, it's too hard". I think you are intimidated and because you aren't sure of whether or not you are going to succeed, you are afraid to even try.

I am struggling as your mom. I don't want to force you to play a sport (it's not about the sport after all), but, I don't want you to quit what you started, especially if I know you're good at it. I don't want you to give up without even trying. And I want to teach you that doing your best is what makes you successful, not winning itself. So, your dad and I are going to continue to bring you to your practices and we will continue to bring you to these games...even if we have to sit you on the sidelines while you scream. We will not quit what we start. I hope that you see how much fun your peers are having, and that you'll want to jump in.

Maybe soccer isn't your thing..and that is perfectly okay. Here is our motto: YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE THE BEST, BUT YOU HAVE TO TRY YOUR BEST. Got it? I know you can stay on that field. I just know it. Now, we just have to convince you.

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