Bowden's first soccer game was on Friday. He has been having practices twice a week for the past two weeks, and at the last practice, the team scrimmaged each other.
Bowden was still pretty clueless about the game. "Do we line up in soccer?"He was adorable. He said he was scared, and I could almost feel his little heart racing. "I was nervous before a game, too."
I think it made him feel better.
We left early for the game- with him nervous, I wanted to be able to take our time getting to the field...rushing would have been too much.
Once at the field, he calmed down and started to run around and shortly his friends Lucas and Micah showed up for their games. Bowden is one of the Bobcats. Lucas is a Fighting Irishman. I do not know what Micah is- he's too old for the "minor league."
The boys practiced and played for a bit.

I made them pose together, although, with duds like these, they were not hard to convince. Every kid out there is wearing a swimming pool worth of uniform...lets in the air, you know. Lucas and Bowden.
Micah, Lucas and Bowden.
Joel White is also on the Fighting Irish, and he came along not too long after.

Finally it was time to begin. The Bobcats were playing the Bumblebees...or Killer Bees...I don't remember which. The little blonde girl is Bowden's friend Lily from school.
She and Bowden shared a common strategy throughout the game...look around and move...kind of...in the direction of the ball.

The whistle blew! The game started! Bowden was next to Payton, and they took off!

A corner kick? What is that?
The coaches stayed on the field for the entire game. I was encouraged to see this, as Bowden kept trying to get the ball from his own teammates.

Goal! Return to your places!
More quality soccer playing.
Coach Read had all us parents stand together and make a victory tunnel- Bowden's favorite part of the game. One of the other parents brought out the snacks and drinks. Bowden was ecstatic. His second favorite part of the game? "I like how many goals we scored."

That's because Coach Read's daughter Shelby was BRED for soccer. She can dribble around things and shoot the ball in the net. At five, that's major talent. Gabby and Payton are also good athletes, which means, according to another parent/coach, "Your team is stacked."

I asked Bowden what he thought of the game. "I loved it."

I found it slightly painful to watch, but it was a good time.

(Holy crap. With this post, have I officially entered the ranks of 'soccer mom?' Purse filled with more snacks, toys, and wipes than make-up and money? Check. Three car seats and a double stroller? Check. Mini-van with shin guards and soccer balls? Check. And the verdict is...)