Turn it around!

In addition to starting kindergarten, Brendan also joined his first soccer team. His first game was last Tuesday (that's how Ken and I celebrated our wedding anniversary!). Brendan's introduction to the sport came complete with heavy rainfall, cooler temperatures and wind. Kelsey, Ryan and I sat in the car for the game's first half, then finally made it to the sidelines when the bad weather passed.

Brendan poses for some soccer photos in our backyard before we head to his first game. The rain hadn't started yet!

I was a little nervous that Brendan wouldn't enjoy the game, since he told Grammy last week that he didn't like "real" soccer. But he was thrilled to be on the field and play with the other boys. We often yelled, "Turn it around!" when he'd kick the ball toward the wrong goal, but at least he was going for the ball. At this point, we're mostly interested in teaching Brendan the value of teamwork, to have fun, and giving him another avenue to make friends. So the direction he kicks isn't all that important.


Two notes regarding younger siblings:

1) I can see now why younger siblings often begin organized sports at a younger age. Ryan has been exposed to it earlier than Brendan was, and as long as he has an interest in soccer, I can see him wanting to play much sooner.

2) I would never have expected Brendan to sit on the sidelines of a soccer field for 30 minutes at age 2 without a battle or meltdown. Ryan seems to be getting the hang of it -- this waiting on his big brother.