And soccer again!

Last, but certainly not least, this was the first year that Will and Helen played soccer. Three-year-old soccer is something everyone should experience. And Cort not only experienced it, but also coached it. There is a special place in heaven for parents who have volunteered to coach three-year-old soccer. (He did a great job, of course, and all the kids loved him and had a great time.)

Amoeba ball

Coach Cort lining up his team, ready for . . .

the train!

We somewhat expected Helen, who we feel is our most coordinated child and who will go toe-to-toe with her older brothers, to be a little soccer phenom. Not so much. She seemed unprepared for the fact that the other kids were going to be going after the ball as well. I guess we forgot how self-centered she is! But she was always willing to try, and she had a few really good kicks -- one of which almost was a goal in the last game. And she was pretty proud to be a soccer player.

Ready to play!

Fancy footwork

She can dribble, if she's wide open

Will wasn't much of an athlete, which was not unexpected. He kicked the ball - but only when Coach Dad picked him to kick off or take a free kick. He ran around - but not always with the pack. He was, however, always willing to go in when coach needed him (on a three-year-old team, this is actually a valued skill). And he LOVED talking about how he played soccer. In fact, to hear him tell it he was the star of the team.

Running around

Kickoff!

See how much bigger that other kid is? No wonder the other kids outran him!

Getting a little coaching from his big brother Joe (who had similar talent at age 3, but now is quite the soccer player!)

All in all, there were a few times that I thought we were crazy for signing our three-year-olds up for soccer--especially when the older boys were already playing soccer and baseball--but Will and Helen both really enjoyed it and we are glad we did it. We are also, however, glad that it's over until next year!

Go Rapids!