President's Cup - Week 1

One of my most favorite things in this whole wide world to do is to watch Josh play soccer. And although I do have my favorite teams (CF Black and Rio Blue) and my most favorite coach (Coach Boorman) it doesn't really matter too much where Josh plays or what team he plays on. All that matters is watching him play the sport that he is so passionate about it consumes him. He has a gift and a vision as a player that amazes me. Each place we have lived in has taught him a different part about himself as a player and each team he has played on and each coach he has had has added a different element to his game.

I have seen the most growth in him as a player in the last 6 months. He has gone from being a solid player content to allow others to lead and dishing the ball out to other players at every opportunity he has to a player who commands the field and takes ownership of a team. While he still is a very unselfish player he also no longer gives the ball away if he knows he has the ability to do something with it. This led to him being the leading scorer on the team he played with this last season. He is truly coming into his own as a player and it is so cool to watch. His stepped level of play has also earned him a spot as a guest player on a club team here in town for the President's Cup competition.

Last weekend was week one of the competition. The team he is guesting for definitely is not one of the strongest teams he has ever played on. In fact, I would go so far as to say that it is one of the weakest teams he has played on in terms of talent and team cohesiveness, but with Josh and the two other guest players on the team they have added some balance and skill which should help the team to win at least a couple of games in this tournament.

Josh started the game and played all but 10 minutes of. He scored the lone goal that ended the game in a 1-1 tie. It was a beauty. And he scored the third and final penalty shot to win the game for the boys with another beautiful shot in the upper 90.

I love listening to the parents talk about Josh on the sidelines. This team of parents seems to have already fallen in love with his skill. He has been asked to try out for their team in May, but is going to decline because he has his heart set on another club team in town. The reason it makes me feel good to hear the parents talk about Josh so glowingly is because I know that this is a sport that he loves so much. It is nice to know that my perspective on his soccer ability is actually valid and not just a parent seeing their child's skill through rose colored lenses.

He has two games this upcoming weekend which is nice because my mom and dad will be in town. Behind Bob and I my mom is his biggest supporter. I know she misses watching him play, so it makes me happy to know she will get to see him.

Huddle right before the game.

Taking the field. 

The game came to a stop as one of Josh's teammates broke his ankle during this game because the goal from the opposing team slide tackled the kid. (This is EXACTLY why I hate slide tackling although legal.)

Getting ready for the game to restart. 

Staring down the goalie before he heads down to the field to kick his PK to win the game.

Running down down to the spot where he is going kick the PK.

Success! Game won on Josh's PK.

Celebrating victory.