Oi 14 - pick it up!*

Festival Football for Smallest (his debut for the rep team at Stouffville Soccer Club - not my word by the way, it's what the club is called!) began with an hours drive with instructions from the sat nav that took us to someone's back garden. We parked the car and walked 1.5km past fields full of big footballers, mini footballers and a couple of baseball teams. We had no idea where we were or where we were going and everyone around us had the same confused expression. Finally we spied one of the team who only parked up because they saw us (and they thought we might be going in the right direction). 1.5km of fields and we were looking for field no2 (not that any of the fields appeared to have numbers on them). Eventually we saw the rest of the team (though several were missing, possibly not able to find their way either) and joined them. There was plenty of talk about how difficult it was to park etc etc and Huffle left us to try and move the car closer as our food was in there.

The team that was there had a good practice and team talk and other team members arrived before the game started. The ref was late and had to be subbed by the coach from the other team. Smallest started as a sub but soon joined the game. His team are in division 3 but have been easily winning games in the past and have asked for harder games. Today they were playing Division 2 teams and the first game was quite challenging for them. Still they did really well and won 8-6.

The next game wasn't for a hour so we moved aside (and gracefully let other spectators sit next to the game) and ate our lunch and had a kick around with a football. When Huffle went to move the car earlier he couldn't get any closer so he moved it again but this time in the car park next to us. For the next game we couldn't sit next to the game as other people were not so gracious as us so we sat on the end next to the goal. This gave Huffle ample chance to shout instructions to not only Smallest but the rest of the team, not forgetting the ref who he told, more than once, how to referee a game!

This game was a draw and I know the coach desperately wanted them to win this one because a few of the players had left Stouffville Club to join them as they were supposed to be better. Yeah, if better means paying $1,500 for eight year olds to play football (more money than sense if you ask me).

The team did well and were all given a magnet with the name of the Festival they had just played in (like an England Cap). Normal practice resumes tomorrow evening!

Smallest's First Cap

We came home via the ice cream shop as we were very hot and Smallest was in need of sustenance. We were stuck in construction traffic for ages but it was worth it to get a nice cooling ice cream shake and then we came home.

Smallest had a soothing bath and watched a film and Small played on his tablet (he has read his book all morning in the car, during some the games and on the way home). Huffle and I sat on the porch and had a cup of tea.

 

*a boy stood in front of us and dropped his sweet wrapper. Small called him a litter bug and I said "you've dropped your litter" to which he looked at us and walked away. When he walked in front of Huffle, Huffle shouted "Oi 14 (the number on his back) pick it up!" He instantly picked it up and we didn't see him again.

Posted with Blogsy