soccer

James couldn't be having more fun with soccer. He asked me each day how many days it is until the next game or practice. I think he might enjoy practices as much or more than the games because practices give more opportunities to kick the ball and make goals. He got a crash course in the rules the night before the first game, but, of course, they didn't mean much to him because he had very little context for reference. Just kicking the ball in the right direction by the end of the game was progress. Of course, he wasn't the only kid with this as a starting point. On the other hand, there are a couple of kids (none on our team) that really get it and are quite good. A score for our team is about as good as a win in James' book. The team actually has tied one game. That was a bid deal. They all do get a little better with each game, though.
James seems to have taken a liking to playing defense. As soon as the ball is headed towards his team's goal, he hauls it down to the goal to play defense and he does a decent job. He gets super excited when he stops the other team from scoring a goal. And, at every opportunity, he gives the ball a good kick towards the other team's goal.
I sure wish I had framed this shot up better. Still, you can see from the bottom half of his face that this kid is having a blast. It's fun for all of us to have James playing soccer.