soccer

We are experiencing our first VERY competitive child. Nolan just started summer soccer - the first sport we have ever signed him up to participate in.  He suddenly wants to be signed up for every sport he can think  of. He has big plans to do flag football this fall and wrestling this winter and is also showing interest in basketball. We shall see about all that... But we did sign him up for soccer and every since he has been asking when it is going to start.  The kids were setting up soccer games almost every day in the front yard and showing him a few things just to quench his appetite. So when the coach finally called, he was especially thrilled to hear that he was FINALLY going to have a real soccer practice- and after getting over his initial shyness, he took off and hogged the ball the whole time:

His game was the very next day.  He started the game by immediately scoring two goals, then someone elbowed him in the mouth and he sat out for awhile.  Then he heard a girl from the other team report to her teammates that they were winning! Nolan started crying and saying, "I hope they don't just rub it in about winning!!"

 I told him to go play- there was still a lot of time to go, and maybe they would still win.  He jumped right back in, but the other team still "won".  I'm pretty sure that no one keeps score except for the kids with older siblings, because at this age the adults don't tally it up.

After the game, Nolan was crying again because the other team "won".  He wouldn't even go clap the other kids on the hand like they do after games. (Yeah, this soccer stuff will be good for him to practice good sportsmanship behavior!)

Kami told Nolan to think about how happy the other team must feel that they won.  He responded with," Yeah, but I'M not happy that they won!!!"  We listened to him sniffle all the way home and wish that he wasn't even IN soccer! I told him that maybe he wouldn't like to be in all those other sports either... No -   he was sure they would be different.  He would never cry in football or wrestling!

 It was no consolation to him that he had played a good game.  All he could think about was that his team didn't win.  By the next morning he was feeling a lot better about things and we were able to talk more about being a good sport.  And he was as happy as could be during his next game although they "won" so we don't know for sure how well everything has sunk in.

You'd never guess that this sweet little fellow could have such a competitive little nature!!