So, I was never really any good at sports growing up. My exposure to sports didn't start until I was 13 years old and getting hit on the football field. No, not on the real field in a game; the practice field. The only time I made it onto the real field was during the 5th quarter of our middle school football games. Did everyone else have a 5th quarter? I feel like maybe Idaho just made it up so all the crappy players like me could get some playing time after the game was over when we couldn't do any damage to our team's stats. Even in the 5th quarter, I was the worst player.
Despite the talent void in my life, I really enjoyed being around sports.
As a kid, I remember throwing around the nerf football with friends, getting picked last for basketball, and I even have a single faint memory having a catch with my dad, though it's entirely possible that this memory never happened.
I tried to hang out with kids that were good at sports. They inspired me they way they shot that basketball or drove my head into the dirt during a football drill. It never really caught on though. I was just too late to the game.
There was one fleeting moment of brilliance in my juvenile sports career; a little league game-winning RBI. I'll spare you the details mostly because my mom was unable to make the game, and reliving the experience always brings tears to her eyes (assuming she reads my blog).
Anyway, even this moment of brilliance was just luck.
Recently, Harrison started playing soccer. I'm not even entirely sure that he REALLY likes playing soccer. He's good at it and seems to enjoy it ok, but certainly not as much as I want him to. Making up for a lost childhood, you say? ABSOLUTELY. And I'm totally ok with this. I'll live vicariously through Harrison's 5 year old soccer games without an ounce of shame.
Here's a video of Harrison's 2nd goal of the year (his first goal failed to make it to video).
Notice that he just scores and stands there. Shouldn't he be more excited?
The below is my first attempt at producing a .gif. Harrison's coach sent these sequential photos and I nearly fell out of my chair laughing. I don't remember seeing this in the game last Saturday?!? I almost feel bad for Harrison's "victim," but hey, soccer is a contact sport according to the Roseville Soccer League.
In any case, he certainly learned this blocking move from me. When we are practicing, I make sure he eats some turf every once in a while. It's good for the soul.
