pictures are a farse

From September

See this kiddo running off the field.  Doesn't it make you think that 3 year olds playing soccer is the best idea ever?  Doesn't it make you think that they all love it?

FALSE!!!

K. BEGGED to play soccer.  He spends hours and hours kicking the ball in our backyard.  He can follow it and shoot it into a goal with no problem.  When he got his shin guards, he would not take them off for a week.  He slept in them, ate in them, and threw a fit everyday when I refused to let him wear them to school.  

Apparently, all 3 year olds, love soccer and look very cute and adorable in their pictures forcing parents to put them on a team.  Then, they think all children are trying to steal the ball from them or that it isn't nice to kick it away from other children.  They require adults to physically put them on the field.  K took all of the times that we tried to teach him to share and confusingly threw it back in our faces.  When he wasn't crying and running away from the ball, he was doing this...

One particular game, he was playing against one of our very best friend's daughters.  He was very engaged for the first 3 minutes (the game is only 30).  Then, little M. was running at him with the ball.  "Kick it K."  We were yelling.  He immediately turned to us, began crying, and ran away.  The next 27 minutes were pure hell.  Do we let him leave a game?  Do we let him quit or do we force him to stay until the game is over.  His saint of a coach tried carrying him.  We first tried giving a hug and then turning him back around, we tried,"K., you can't sit here with us until the game is over."  We were so close to going the bribery route when we realized how ridiculous that we sounded.  OK kiddo, today isn't the day.  We will go home.  But, when we sign up for something, we don't quit.  We keep trying because our team needs us.  When we got home, both B. and I were frazzled.  K. was exhausted.  After his nap, I asked him again what happened.  "I didn't want to take the ball from her.  I love her."

OK, so soccer for 3 year olds is no fun, but compassion from my 3 year old is awesome.