End of Soccer Season

AYSO soccer season has come to an end. Here are some highlights from the end of the season:

The soccer banner parade during a UCSB men's soccer game.

Thatcher was so excited that his older friends from the SB club soccer team agreed to parade his U5 soccer banner around since no one else from his team came.

It is a must to get some UCSB flair from the face painters at the games. 

Thatcher LOVES his buddy, Sawyer. 

A little too much but Sawyer is a good sport about it ;)

Dancing Grandma and Papa Ward got to come and and see the kids play which was awesome!

Samantha's last practice of the season was a parents/siblings vs. Blue Wave Dolphin's game.

Pizza Mizza awards dinner for the girls.

Coach Jules always takes the time to speak about each player.

Sweet note for Coach Todd.

After Sam's party, we rushed over to the end of Thatcher's at Rusty's Pizza.

We made it just in time for trophies which is the best part to these kids. 

Thatcher had such a GREAT season! The first couple games started off a bit slow and disorganized but then all of a sudden Thatcher became the super star. I wish I got more video but the one above sums it up perfect. He got the hang of the game and would be the top scorer each time. He would over and over just take the ball and score goals, one right after the other. Some of the kids weren't really into playing on his team and would sit out the entire game which meant Thatcher would play all four quarters. 

Sometimes the kids would have games at the same time so Todd and I would keep each other updated with what was happening at each of the games. As you can see, at one game Thatcher scored 5 goals in one six-minute quarter. We lost count with how many goals he scored but he averaged about three or four a game. 

So proud of our soccer stud!

Coach Jules would sometimes bring out the team "bench" for the girls (her sons use this during club soccer). 

Samantha is really improving in soccer. This year Coach Jules helped Samantha to work on her confidence when playing against friends on the other team. Samantha would literally freeze when faced with opponents that she knew. With Santa Barbara being so small, that was basically every game. After her weekly pep talk from Coach Jules that for an hour she needs to separate being friends and go at the other team, including friends, with some aggression, she'd usually snap out of it. The Player's Academy team she is on has helped tremendously. Her last two games of the season she was on fire, using some of the new footwork she has learned, being more aggressive and showed what a great offensive player she is. She's a Lefty but is dribbling and shooting the ball with both her right and left. Samantha finished the season with 11 goals! So proud! 

Until next year, AYSO….

Page Youth Center Girls' Basketball

Last year, Samantha played basketball at the YMCA and this year she is moving over to the Page Youth Center to play so she can be on an all girl team instead of co-ed (let's face it, boys don't like to pass the ball to girls). Basketball at the Page Youth Center is a little more competitive than the Y and a little more involved. For instance, they have evaluations and then the teams are put together during a draft. 

Measuring in at 4 feet, 2 inches 

Getting a little practice in before the evaluations. 

The line up. And at this point I was feeling a little nervous for her.

The girls were instructed to one by one, dribble down the court, in between the cones, go in for a "lay up" (yes, that is what I said) and then shoot once from the other side, one free throw and then dribble back to the line. Well, Samantha probably has no idea what a "lay up" is, actually I am 100% positive she does not. Now I was really nervous. Especially since the stands were filled! 

Thatcher, on the other hand, is the kid laying in the middle of the court on the other side of the building watching the big boys play, oblivious to what his sister was about to do. 

And to my surprise, she didn't do so bad. I mean, a little traveling here and there but she was the only one of a handful that made some of the baskets.  

Fast forward to today, and she has been drafted to The Storm! Practices are about to start so stay tuned! 

Peabody Fun Run

Samantha ran her longest race to date, a 5K, in the Peabody Fun Run held a few weeks ago. 

Starting line!

and 3.1 miles later, the finish!

I wasn't letting her beat me in. My limited amount of race knowledge I did pass down to her, "start off slow, pace yourself and sprint into the finish!" She left me in the dust as we neared the finish line. 

This was near Halloween so there was a "costume optional" thing going on that we didn't subscribe to.

No big deal, 3 mile race done at 6-years-old. 

Official time: 32:05  There were moments when she asked to walk but we persevered otherwise known as me grabbing her hand and dragging her a bit saying, "no walking, we are going to make it the entire way running no matter what pace." ;) 

And my MOMagering worked as she won 3rd place! Should have been FIRST given the category was 5 to 8 year-olds boys AND girls. Only beat by two boys and one of them was 8….. But I kept my mouth shut ;)

Post race photo with her buddy Lolo. 

Next year, perhaps I'll sign her up for the 10K option and drag her a little further ;)