He Shoots, He SCORES! GOOOOOAAAALLLLL

And the crowd goes wild! Oh what a difference 3 months makes. I'm not sure what has gotten into my little man but Ben has become a soccer stud. Ben has always enjoyed playing soccer. He was involved with Little Kicker's when he was about 2 and played informaly through that program until last fall, when at 4 years old he played YMCA soccer. It went alright but Ben was kind of intimidated by the aggresiveness of the game and not a fan of kids kicking the ball anywhere near him. He spent most of his time in the goal and running behind the pack of kids chasing the ball.

This past spring Ben played Speedway Youth Soccer and was one of the youngest on the team. Again, he really enjoyed soccer and never complained about going to practices or games, but still was not an overly active participant, though he did get a bit more engaged in the battles for the ball versus the fall before.

And that brings us to the present. Ben is playing fall Speedway Youth Soccer in the U6 (all participants are 4-6 years old) league and DOMINATES. I was completely floored when we went to his first game last Saturday. He was aggressive he was fast, he was encouraging of his teamates, and most importantly he had a HUGE smile on his face the entire team (and blazing red cheeks from all the running). I thought my heart was going to burst with pride when he even scored his FIRST GOAL right in front of where his fan club was sitting. Aunt Sissy, Brookie, Abby, Bampaw, and Nana were all there for the momentous occasion. Daddy is assistant coach and Joey and I were jumping up and down (go bubba go, go bubba go). I'm sure we made quite a scene! Ben was beyond proud of himself and had a shy close-lipped smile that he couldn't suppress. After the game he came running to the sidelines and jumped in my arms, buried his (sweaty) little head in my neck and said "I scored my first goal mommy!" Bestill my heart.

And then there was this week. Ben had a game Wednesday night and Dean had to work so he could not be there. Not one, not two, not three, FOUR goals were scored by my little dynamo. It was so much fun to watch Ben in action. His ball handling skills are pretty impressive and he dribbles the ball up and down the field, passes, steals, and of course loves taking shots on goal. I was furiously texting Dean with play-by-play analysis, but soon just started texting GOAL everytime he scored. Again, the best part was watching him glow with pride and seeing how much fun he was having out there. Fun playing sports?! Who knew!

The other thing I loved seeing was how encouraging he was toward his teamates. He cheered for his team when he was on the field and even when on the bench. I love that.

So, if you can't find me this fall, I will likely be on the soccer field watching my little maniac in action. Come join us, there is always room in Ben's Fan Club!