Tales
Over the hill for soccer
Every once in awhile you see what your kid is made of. On a last minute thought, Terren decided to try out for a new soccer club. This club’s second team manhandled her team last season (played keep away for the 2nd half in order to mercifully stop scoring), but she wanted to give it a shot. Although this club had already closed their tryouts, Matilda’s mom was able to get her a tryout at practice. Nerves would be an understatement, but there was nothing to lose. Unbelievably to all of us, she got offered a spot on the first team. After a heart-wrenching, 48-hour decision to leave all of her friends, she accepted the offer and we walked into the unknown. Little could we anticipate how things would change.
She went from competing in Bronze division (the bottom) to Premier (the top). The girls were faster, more foot-skilled, more physical, and more experienced on so many levels. Terren had never even remotely seen this type of soccer or team anywhere. The level of play, the level of expectations, the level of verbal negativity from teammates - all were higher and that’s not even to mention that she knew no one. She went from bringing almost the entirety of two teams to her last club to knowing not a single soul. Being her mom, Lynn has never lost so much sleep. In the midst of Mom’s struggle, Terren has been clear and unambiguous about her desire to be with, grow, and learn on this team. Who knows what will happen with soccer in the near or long term. No matter what happens, Lynn can unambiguously say that she has never been so proud of Terren’s toughness. There is a reason she started walking at 8.5 months. Total lack of fear.
