Little kids are so entertaining, sometimes!

Today we went to see my nephew play soccer. There is nothing like watching a bunch of 5 year olds run around kicking a moving, round object into a net, any net it doesn't matter which one. They start out 3 on 3, one of the kids has to kick off, but they all look at each other, questioning, is it you? is it you? is it me? what ball??? When someone realizes they are suppose to kick off, the kid runs up to the ball and stops 2 or 3 inches from it, dead stop, then wildly swings away at the innocent ball. Sometimes they make contact, sometimes not. Either way, the entertainment has begun. Whichever way the ball is going, doesnt matter which team, they all bunch together and kick wildly at the ball until it nears a goal, either goal. At this point the goalie is so happy the ball and his or her team is near him or her that they too kick wildly at the ball, sometimes out of the goal sometimes into the goal.

There is no way I can accuratly describe what happens during a 5 year old soccer game but one description that comes to mind is dropping a marble into an ant bed, all the ants swell out and scramble all over the marble and it doesnt move. All of these kids are new to sports, to this point in their short lives they have been taught to; play together, share, don't kick, catch the ball, don't take things from your friends and listen to their parents. Now they have been placed on a team, with someone elses parent (coach), taught to run away from each other, take the ball from your friends, dont touch the ball (unless you are the goalie and thats a whole different set of conusion), kick the ball, kick your friends, slide kick, dont share and for the boys, they have to not only run with but take from the girls.

Oh, occasionally someone will get it into the goal either by accident or by design, sort of, and when this happens, everyone gets excited even the other team. Its suppose to be about learning, good sportsmanship and healthy activities, the score isn't announced or recorded, supposedly. The only score I keep up with is when my nephew gets one, he gets so excited and surprised when he makes a goal. It is good clean fun and I am glad he gets to play and entertain me!