Defense

Michela has been playing AA soccer since last fall and I have only a handful of pictures to show for it.  It's not that I haven't taken my camera along to some of the games, but I'm always so busy watching that I forget the camera sitting in my lap and miss the picture opportunities.  She tried out for competition soccer last summer and only one team was looking for players.  The coach ended up being the father of one of her classmates from her sixth grade class.  He is the most wonderful coach.  He is so good with the girls and is their greatest supporter.  The team struggled to find players, but in the end they ended up with 12 girls, just enough to play.
Her team started out the fall season in great form, winning every game the first half of the season.  Unfortunately disaster struck and their goalie was out with a broken finger.  People got shifted around and they lost their mojo.  The second half of the fall season wasn't as fun to watch and hurt my heart every time we had to ride home after another lost game with a disappointed daughter by my side.  But they never lost their team spirit and they are the most optimistic girls I have ever met.  It has been such a blessing for Michela to be a part of this amazing group of girls.

They played through the winter doing indoor soccer in a league where they were the youngest team.  It was a tough few weeks, but they kept trying hard and did their best.  Another girl on the team broke her foot and that left them one girl short for the start of the spring season.
Spring soccer started in March and the girls were in top form once again.  Then the problems started.  The goalie got hurt and was out for a few games.  The back up goalie broke her tail bone, she kept coming to the games but she couldn't play as hard as usual.  Fortunately a new player joined the team and she has been such a wonderful addition to the team.  They won a couple of games, but lost most of them again.  But this time they kept most of those lost games so very close.  They were playing great, but they were playing with only one sub or no subs most of the games against teams with four or five subs.  They worked hard and us parents couldn't have been prouder.
Last night they had their first playoff game.  They were up against a tough team, but in my heart I knew they were good enough to beat them.  With everyone there they had a really good chance.  Sadly, I didn't get to go, I had to run around the other four kids to various activities, so Mike kept me posted by text during the game.  The game started at 5:30 and at 5:37 I got the first text.  "1-0.  We just scored."  Yes!  I was so excited that they had gotten an early goal to get them pumped up for the rest of the game.  The second text came at 6:12.  "Half time. 1-0"  Then a little while later.  "2-0.  They are totally assisting each other to set up the goals!"  6:39- "3-0.  Michela has had some great passes."  Then the goals just kept coming.  "4-0"  "5-0"  "6-0"  I was so jealous Mike was there watching and not me.  I asked Michela when she got home if it had felt good to win that game.  She turned to me and said, "Yeah Mom, it felt really good."
It has been fun to watch Michela grow and improve over the season.  She had played rec soccer for a few years, but hadn't really ever been taught much about the rules of the game.  She likes playing defense and has gotten quite good at it.  It's fun to watch the defensive line on her team because it is made up of the 3 shortest girls on the team.  You wouldn't know it when you are watching them go after the girls on the other teams though.  They are often up against much bigger girls but they don't let the size of the other girls get to them.  One dad from our team always comments, "I love watching Michela play.  She really doesn't realize how small she is, does she?"  She is doing such a great job lately at not letting the balls get past her and is so good at kicking the ball out of there.  Her control of the ball has greatly improved and she seems to know right where the ball needs to go.  Love watching her!

I can't wait to watch her game on Saturday.  It is going to be a difficult game.  They are going against a really good team, but they've got a chance if they all work well together.  Because of their win last night they get to play in a Semi Final match next week.  I'm so happy for this beautiful group of girls, they are so fun to watch on the field and a blast to be around.