Aye yi yi!
Tonight's soccer game nearly did me in! We got stomped (of course). But worst of all, it wasn't a lot of fun.
It's not the losing that is so irksome. We routinely do that and I tend to have a fabulous time anyway.
Most games I spend in the back field with my good buddy on defense. We play our hearts out, but we laugh at our old legs along the way. We have fun, we run, we play, and we get in a heck of a workout during the process. It's why I signed up in the first place.
But tonight wasn't fun.
Let me remind you that we play in an "over 30" division. Except it's not STRICTLY for "mature" players. Women of any age or skill can play in our division. And male novices of any age can play too.
There are always a few women who are closer to Wonder Boy's age than mine on the pitch. And while that is irksome in itself, tonight was just worse. Insult to injury. Salt rubbed in an open wound.
The other team not only had a young girl (not long off of her COLLEGE squad) but a young punk of a goalie who routinely took to dribbling the ball up the field all the way to our goal. HE SCORED EVEN. Our team was no match - either in age or skill. And having some KID show off like that over and over was just too much.
I felt very much like letting my inner 2 year old come out and stomping off the field.
But it WAS the final game of the spring season, so I gutted it out, gritted my teeth and only complained once out loud.
I *really* think the league should have a strictly over 30 division. Even young kids who have never played before can run circles around us and that is how we (of the Injured Reserves) end up on the IR list - trying to chase them down. *sigh*
I'm going to bed now. My legs are sore and my spirit is heavy. But I have every intention of being back out there come fall.
SO THERE!
Showing posts with label soccer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label soccer. Show all posts
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Sunday, April 14, 2013
April 14 - 50/50 play
It's soccer night. And that means I'm worn out. But in that good way that means I actually got my bum up off the couch and made it to the game on-time.
That was more of a struggle for me today than usual. I'll admit it. I wanted nothing more than to camp out on the couch. A plate of cookies wouldn't be refused either (& I even had them on-hand). *sigh*
But our team has been so short handed as of late that I didn't want to add to that. So we did what we were supposed to do - and got up off the couch.
The game turned into a good news/bad news affair.
Good news: we actually had enough players show up that we had a couple of substitutes on the sidelines!
Bad news: Wonder Dad was hurt not 2 minutes into the game. It's actually the same injury he got in last week's game. When he was able to run on the treadmill yesterday we thought he'd at least be well enough to play goalie. But alas, it just wasn't meant to be. He spent the rest of the game on the sidelines with Wonder Boy coaching and cheering.
Good news: the team matched up well against us. There skill level was pretty similar and there were not a lot of young players on their roster. It's always more fun when that happens.
Bad news: we lost anyway. We had a lot of opportunities to score, but today was just no our day and we ended up on the low end of the score sheet.
Do I regret getting up off the couch? Not entirely. I mean, for me personally, no. I do not regret it a bit. I need to get up and get moving more often. But I do feel bad that Wonder Dad is hurt again.
I guess it's just that kind of 50/50 day.
That was more of a struggle for me today than usual. I'll admit it. I wanted nothing more than to camp out on the couch. A plate of cookies wouldn't be refused either (& I even had them on-hand). *sigh*
But our team has been so short handed as of late that I didn't want to add to that. So we did what we were supposed to do - and got up off the couch.
The game turned into a good news/bad news affair.
Good news: we actually had enough players show up that we had a couple of substitutes on the sidelines!
Bad news: Wonder Dad was hurt not 2 minutes into the game. It's actually the same injury he got in last week's game. When he was able to run on the treadmill yesterday we thought he'd at least be well enough to play goalie. But alas, it just wasn't meant to be. He spent the rest of the game on the sidelines with Wonder Boy coaching and cheering.
Good news: the team matched up well against us. There skill level was pretty similar and there were not a lot of young players on their roster. It's always more fun when that happens.
Bad news: we lost anyway. We had a lot of opportunities to score, but today was just no our day and we ended up on the low end of the score sheet.
Do I regret getting up off the couch? Not entirely. I mean, for me personally, no. I do not regret it a bit. I need to get up and get moving more often. But I do feel bad that Wonder Dad is hurt again.
I guess it's just that kind of 50/50 day.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
April 7 - Pain on the Pitch
Tough, tough game tonight. We only had 6 players show up, which means we played down a man the entire game. NOT fun.
On the up side, we actually won this game. How that happened, I will never fully understand. I feel like they played better, but I guess some times it's better to be lucky than good.
On the down side (WAY down), we had even MORE injuries. In fact, of the 6 players that walked out onto the pitch, only ONE PERSON walked off after the game w/out a limp. Wonder Dad and I were both among the wounded warriors. I took a charge late in the game that knocked me flat and already a HUGE bruise is coming up on my knee. And somehow, in all of that, *I* drew the foul. Doesn't seem right.
Wonder Dad is much worse. He strained his calf. But since he knew we were already so short handed, he played goalie in the second half. And I'll be danged if he didn't shut out the other team!
What can I say? I married well!
Hopefully we'll both be able to make it back on the field next week. And hopefully a few more of our players will make an appearance as well!
On the up side, we actually won this game. How that happened, I will never fully understand. I feel like they played better, but I guess some times it's better to be lucky than good.
On the down side (WAY down), we had even MORE injuries. In fact, of the 6 players that walked out onto the pitch, only ONE PERSON walked off after the game w/out a limp. Wonder Dad and I were both among the wounded warriors. I took a charge late in the game that knocked me flat and already a HUGE bruise is coming up on my knee. And somehow, in all of that, *I* drew the foul. Doesn't seem right.
Wonder Dad is much worse. He strained his calf. But since he knew we were already so short handed, he played goalie in the second half. And I'll be danged if he didn't shut out the other team!
What can I say? I married well!
Hopefully we'll both be able to make it back on the field next week. And hopefully a few more of our players will make an appearance as well!
Thursday, March 28, 2013
March 28 - GOOOOOOOAL!
What a night on the soccer pitch it has been! Can I get a "whoop!", please?!
We had another of our crazy Thursday nights around here. After work/school, we took some time to rest and catch our breath before the fun started. By 6:30pm we were loaded up and headed to the soccer fields. Wonder Boy's practice started at 7pm. We dropped Wonder Dad off at the adult fields and then crossed the park to the kids' fields. As there are no games this weekend (Easter is coming), I expected it to be a pretty sparse practice and that was an understatement - only 5 kids managed to show (& one of those is the coach's son). Coach managed to find another team with low participation and arranged a fun scrimmage for the kids who made it out.
Wonder Boy played like he was ON FIRE! He didn't score, but he had 2 assists and was covering the whole field, it seemed! We packed it in a few minutes early (7:45) so that we could book it back across the park to the adult game. I knew our team would also be short handed. We have several who are out injured and a few others who just couldn't work the game into their schedules.
We arrived just a few minutes before the end of the first half. Wonder Dad was already on the score board, having snagged himself a goal while the boy and I were at practice! And after just a few minutes of me hitting the pitch, he placed a perfect ball at my feet. In fact, it was so perfectly place, I could barely believe it and my shot sailed just wide of the goal.
But fortunately, I would get another crack at it just a few minutes into the 2nd half. Again, it was Wonder Dad that put the ball right where I needed it. The goalie had come WAY out so a quick touch, just out of his reach and I managed to log my first (& probably only) goal of the season!
It's not often a defender like myself gets a chance to score! And though I am already SUPER SORE, I am floating on air regardless. :+)
We've got a bit more than a week off before our next game so I am just going to soak up this moment.
We had another of our crazy Thursday nights around here. After work/school, we took some time to rest and catch our breath before the fun started. By 6:30pm we were loaded up and headed to the soccer fields. Wonder Boy's practice started at 7pm. We dropped Wonder Dad off at the adult fields and then crossed the park to the kids' fields. As there are no games this weekend (Easter is coming), I expected it to be a pretty sparse practice and that was an understatement - only 5 kids managed to show (& one of those is the coach's son). Coach managed to find another team with low participation and arranged a fun scrimmage for the kids who made it out.
Wonder Boy played like he was ON FIRE! He didn't score, but he had 2 assists and was covering the whole field, it seemed! We packed it in a few minutes early (7:45) so that we could book it back across the park to the adult game. I knew our team would also be short handed. We have several who are out injured and a few others who just couldn't work the game into their schedules.
We arrived just a few minutes before the end of the first half. Wonder Dad was already on the score board, having snagged himself a goal while the boy and I were at practice! And after just a few minutes of me hitting the pitch, he placed a perfect ball at my feet. In fact, it was so perfectly place, I could barely believe it and my shot sailed just wide of the goal.
But fortunately, I would get another crack at it just a few minutes into the 2nd half. Again, it was Wonder Dad that put the ball right where I needed it. The goalie had come WAY out so a quick touch, just out of his reach and I managed to log my first (& probably only) goal of the season!
It's not often a defender like myself gets a chance to score! And though I am already SUPER SORE, I am floating on air regardless. :+)
We've got a bit more than a week off before our next game so I am just going to soak up this moment.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
March 24 - Living Up to Our Name
Tonight we got another chance to disguise our exercise as play time, and yes, I'm talking about another soccer game.
I think that is one of the things I love most about soccer. It's a heck of a workout. Running, turning, kicking, and even falling. It becomes a full body workout the way we play. So unless we're playing against teenagers, it doesn't FEEL like a workout. It's just running and laughing and enjoying some time with friends. :+)
OK, so that's not exactly true. It most definitely feels like a workout. We're not exactly spring chickens any more, but it's still the best kind of workout - the kind where you have fun the whole time! And tonight we actually got to play against another team that falls into the same age range as we do for a change.
Despite that, they had a number of speedsters (who barely made the 30 year old cut off) and they ran us pretty ragged. To top it off, a cool front came through with some serious wind and made it down right COLD out there tonight.
But I'm not complaining. I had fun. I made a couple of nice defensive stops and I didn't get hurt. For me that's a win (even if the score sheet says our team lost the game)!
One downer though ... we are missing a few key players due to injury. And as of late, it seems like at least one of our guys goes down hard in each game. When you're as "mature" as our team, you can't take too many of those hard falls before you can't get up any more. *sigh*
Our team is called 'the Injured Reserves.' I hope we can stop living up to our name long enough to field a healthy team before the season is up.
I think that is one of the things I love most about soccer. It's a heck of a workout. Running, turning, kicking, and even falling. It becomes a full body workout the way we play. So unless we're playing against teenagers, it doesn't FEEL like a workout. It's just running and laughing and enjoying some time with friends. :+)
OK, so that's not exactly true. It most definitely feels like a workout. We're not exactly spring chickens any more, but it's still the best kind of workout - the kind where you have fun the whole time! And tonight we actually got to play against another team that falls into the same age range as we do for a change.
Despite that, they had a number of speedsters (who barely made the 30 year old cut off) and they ran us pretty ragged. To top it off, a cool front came through with some serious wind and made it down right COLD out there tonight.
But I'm not complaining. I had fun. I made a couple of nice defensive stops and I didn't get hurt. For me that's a win (even if the score sheet says our team lost the game)!
One downer though ... we are missing a few key players due to injury. And as of late, it seems like at least one of our guys goes down hard in each game. When you're as "mature" as our team, you can't take too many of those hard falls before you can't get up any more. *sigh*
Our team is called 'the Injured Reserves.' I hope we can stop living up to our name long enough to field a healthy team before the season is up.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
March 21 - Chasing Youth
My title for today's entry probably should have been "chasing youths." *sigh*
As I mentioned yesterday, we had a soccer game on the schedule for today. But before I go any further, I should tell you that we play in a "special" division of the local leagues. Our division (D-VI) is set up for "mature" players, women, and novices. Our team in particular, is exclusively in the "mature" category - though some of us qualify for the "women & novices" categories as well.
But the team we played last night .... let's just say I'm not sure many of them could even drive themselves to the soccer fields! I'm serious! One kid admitted to being only 13 years old. And watching them dribble the ball at break neck speeds, doing their Lionel Messi impersonations ... well ... let's just say they are not exactly novices either. *sigh*
So we chased a bunch of teenagers all night. We managed to hold on for a 1-1 tie, but that was due to the sheer brilliance of our goal keepers. The rest of us wore out pretty quickly, huffing and puffing while trying to keep up with those kids, so it was a miracle we didn't get totally blown out again.
Oh well ... I guess I shouldn't complain. We actually held the lead for most of the game. And we had a chance for the go-ahead goal late in the final half of play, but it just didn't quite bounce our way. And while I know those kids didn't go home feeling quite as worn out as we did, at least they didn't get to go home with a win under their belts.
As I mentioned yesterday, we had a soccer game on the schedule for today. But before I go any further, I should tell you that we play in a "special" division of the local leagues. Our division (D-VI) is set up for "mature" players, women, and novices. Our team in particular, is exclusively in the "mature" category - though some of us qualify for the "women & novices" categories as well.
But the team we played last night .... let's just say I'm not sure many of them could even drive themselves to the soccer fields! I'm serious! One kid admitted to being only 13 years old. And watching them dribble the ball at break neck speeds, doing their Lionel Messi impersonations ... well ... let's just say they are not exactly novices either. *sigh*
So we chased a bunch of teenagers all night. We managed to hold on for a 1-1 tie, but that was due to the sheer brilliance of our goal keepers. The rest of us wore out pretty quickly, huffing and puffing while trying to keep up with those kids, so it was a miracle we didn't get totally blown out again.
Oh well ... I guess I shouldn't complain. We actually held the lead for most of the game. And we had a chance for the go-ahead goal late in the final half of play, but it just didn't quite bounce our way. And while I know those kids didn't go home feeling quite as worn out as we did, at least they didn't get to go home with a win under their belts.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
March 17 - Ug
UG. That's the word of the day.
I have barely moved from the couch today. And when I have moved, I have regretted it.
Case in point, the soccer game. This was a make up game for the one we had where the ref never showed up. So the only time they could work in a make up game was on the Sunday at the tail end of Spring Break. And yes, you guessed it, that means most of the players and their families had plans for this weekend that did not include soccer.
So despite my legs screaming at me every time I even twitched, we crawled off the couch and made our way to the soccer pitch. Only a handful of players from our team were able to make it. So by the time the game started, we were lucky to have 1 substitute to spell weary players.
The game was ugly. There's just no other word for it. We got stomped. Everyone seamed as worn out as we were feeling. And we looked true to our team name (the Injured Reserves).
Oh well. The next game isn't until Thursday, so we've got a few days to shake this one off and hope that the rest of the team makes it out for the next one.
I have barely moved from the couch today. And when I have moved, I have regretted it.
Case in point, the soccer game. This was a make up game for the one we had where the ref never showed up. So the only time they could work in a make up game was on the Sunday at the tail end of Spring Break. And yes, you guessed it, that means most of the players and their families had plans for this weekend that did not include soccer.
So despite my legs screaming at me every time I even twitched, we crawled off the couch and made our way to the soccer pitch. Only a handful of players from our team were able to make it. So by the time the game started, we were lucky to have 1 substitute to spell weary players.
The game was ugly. There's just no other word for it. We got stomped. Everyone seamed as worn out as we were feeling. And we looked true to our team name (the Injured Reserves).
Oh well. The next game isn't until Thursday, so we've got a few days to shake this one off and hope that the rest of the team makes it out for the next one.
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Mar 3 - For the Love of the Game
I've already mentioned it, but I really and truly L*O*V*E to play soccer. I'm not some super star. I consider it a good game if I make at least one good pass and at least one good defensive stop and if I walk off the field uninjured. That's all it takes for me, folks. I just love to play!
Tonight's game was another fun one. The ref didn't show up, so the final score won't count for anything. But the 2 teams decided to go ahead and at least get in a scrimmage. A friend's daughter who had come to cheer volunteered to keep the time and we all relied on the honor system for fouls and such.
Every time we play this team, it's a close game. And tonight was no exception. Even knowing that the final score wouldn't be recorded, our competitive natures kicked in and we battled for the entire 60 minutes. By the end of the game, we were starting to get a bit chippy with one another, but we all shook hands when the final "whistle" blew (actually, someone just hollered "Game Over!"). We finished the match in a 3-3 tie, which I think is the perfect outcome for an unsanctioned scrimmage.
I hope the league will give us the chance to replay the game when it will count in the standings.
For now though, it's back to our regular workout routine for a few weeks. Spring break starts next weekend, so we'll have some time off before we start back up. I can hardly wait!
Tonight's game was another fun one. The ref didn't show up, so the final score won't count for anything. But the 2 teams decided to go ahead and at least get in a scrimmage. A friend's daughter who had come to cheer volunteered to keep the time and we all relied on the honor system for fouls and such.
Every time we play this team, it's a close game. And tonight was no exception. Even knowing that the final score wouldn't be recorded, our competitive natures kicked in and we battled for the entire 60 minutes. By the end of the game, we were starting to get a bit chippy with one another, but we all shook hands when the final "whistle" blew (actually, someone just hollered "Game Over!"). We finished the match in a 3-3 tie, which I think is the perfect outcome for an unsanctioned scrimmage.
I hope the league will give us the chance to replay the game when it will count in the standings.
For now though, it's back to our regular workout routine for a few weeks. Spring break starts next weekend, so we'll have some time off before we start back up. I can hardly wait!
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Feb 28 - Opening Night
Tonight we had our first soccer game of the spring season! Wonder Boy had practice that overlapped buy a bit, so I missed most of the first half. Wonder Dad got there on time and represented for our family until the Boy and I could join him.
I simply ADORE soccer! I didn't really play as a kid. It wasn't offered in my hometown until my senior year in high school. But Wonder Dad played as a boy and he introduced me to the beautiful game and it's been my favorite sport to play ever since. In the months leading up to Wonder Boy's birth, we found an adult league in town that was just getting started and they even had an "old folks" division. We had found our soccer home!
We play on a team of "mature" folks, many of them friends and coworkers. We bring our kids and spouses - in many cases both mom & dad play on the team, but in the case where only 1 parent plays, the rest of the family acts as cheering squad for us all. It's a wonderful atmosphere in which to play, I must say!
While I enjoyed each and every minute of tonight's game, it was C*O*L*D out there tonight! By the start of the 2nd half, my toes were completely numb. But despite the frigid temps, I stayed vertical throughout. And to put the cherry on top of a great, fun night, our team pulled out a 2-1 win! In fact, Wonder Dad scored the go-ahead goal (off of a beautiful pass/assist to boot)! So to say I "enjoyed" our game tonight seems like such an understatement.
I felt GREAT! I don't know ... it just felt so good to get back out there on the soccer pitch. Back with our friends. Back to running and playing. Just ... fun. Ya know?
Another thing about tonight is that I was able to feel some positive changes due to our workout routine. The crossfit workouts are definitely helping in my ability to recover more quickly. A couple of good sprints up and down the pitch was enough to get me asking for a substitute in seasons past. But I really felt great tonight. In fact, when I came out of the game to take my time in the cheer squad, it was because I wanted to make sure all my teammates got some playing time - not because I needed to collapse on the sideline. I don't know if I'll be able to keep up such efforts once the temperature warms up, but for now, I'm feeling good. And I'm going to soak it up!
And one final note - since this is the last day of the month, I made it a point to remember to do my plank. My shoulder is still bothering me, but it felt wrong to not at least TRY to get a plank in today. So I held my breath, counted sheep in my head, sang the words to every silly kids' song I could think of (in my head, still) and manged to hold on for a new PR of 3:30 on my plank! And then I did 100 air squats as well.
A good day. A GREAT night!
I simply ADORE soccer! I didn't really play as a kid. It wasn't offered in my hometown until my senior year in high school. But Wonder Dad played as a boy and he introduced me to the beautiful game and it's been my favorite sport to play ever since. In the months leading up to Wonder Boy's birth, we found an adult league in town that was just getting started and they even had an "old folks" division. We had found our soccer home!
We play on a team of "mature" folks, many of them friends and coworkers. We bring our kids and spouses - in many cases both mom & dad play on the team, but in the case where only 1 parent plays, the rest of the family acts as cheering squad for us all. It's a wonderful atmosphere in which to play, I must say!
While I enjoyed each and every minute of tonight's game, it was C*O*L*D out there tonight! By the start of the 2nd half, my toes were completely numb. But despite the frigid temps, I stayed vertical throughout. And to put the cherry on top of a great, fun night, our team pulled out a 2-1 win! In fact, Wonder Dad scored the go-ahead goal (off of a beautiful pass/assist to boot)! So to say I "enjoyed" our game tonight seems like such an understatement.
I felt GREAT! I don't know ... it just felt so good to get back out there on the soccer pitch. Back with our friends. Back to running and playing. Just ... fun. Ya know?
Another thing about tonight is that I was able to feel some positive changes due to our workout routine. The crossfit workouts are definitely helping in my ability to recover more quickly. A couple of good sprints up and down the pitch was enough to get me asking for a substitute in seasons past. But I really felt great tonight. In fact, when I came out of the game to take my time in the cheer squad, it was because I wanted to make sure all my teammates got some playing time - not because I needed to collapse on the sideline. I don't know if I'll be able to keep up such efforts once the temperature warms up, but for now, I'm feeling good. And I'm going to soak it up!
And one final note - since this is the last day of the month, I made it a point to remember to do my plank. My shoulder is still bothering me, but it felt wrong to not at least TRY to get a plank in today. So I held my breath, counted sheep in my head, sang the words to every silly kids' song I could think of (in my head, still) and manged to hold on for a new PR of 3:30 on my plank! And then I did 100 air squats as well.
A good day. A GREAT night!
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