Captain #3...

We survived an early morning taekwondo tournament and two soccer games today. When I say survived, I mean I was literally nodding off in the car on the way home. Luckily, our awesome neighbors are having us over for dinner (for the third time this month..YESSSS!!!!), so my Responsibilities (notice the captital R) have mostly ended for the day. I'm tired, the I can feel it deep in my bones kind of tired.

Alex is a Taekwondo stud. I don't have any fears of letting her date, you know when she turns 30, because she kicks some serious butt. She's awesome. Watching her fight is like watching poetry. Nevertheless, she lost both her fights today. Our martial arts school, NWMAI, is just entering the competitive sparring scene. We're green. Alex rocks but, so did all the other kids at the tournament. Here's what I love about Alex. She didn't care. On the way home she said,

"Mom, sparring is just SO FUN."
I'm thinking....."um, really? You kind of got your butt kicked." Thankfully, I have a filter.
"I'm so GLAD, buddy. You were awesome."
"Sir, was really proud of me."
"Yes, honey, he really really was. I'm proud of you, too."

Then, today. She ROCKED our soccer game. She was defense, she was offense, she was everywhere. Then, she wasn't playing goalie, but decided to save the day in the goal anyway. I was in awe. But, she was captain this week. She can't be captain twice.

This week, I've picked two captains, Grace and Alyssa. Grace didn't get to play in our game. She broke her arm on the monkey bars this week. And, she was pretty much our star player. A born athlete. A formidable force to behold.

I'm in mourning. Why, God, why?

But, she came to our game today and cheered for her teammates, even though she couldn't go out and seal the deal for our team. The other captain this week is Alyssa. She's the opposite of Grace. She's tiny, and has to work to be interested in soccer. Digging in the dirt at practice is often more appealing than doing chest traps and headers. But, today was different. Today she took a HARD kick right in the gut. Her 40 pound frame usually convulses in tears when injury occurs.

Not today.

She briefly tensed up and thought about crying, but immediately chased down the soccer ball with an intensity that rivaled that of a lioness.

Ah, Grace and Alyssa, this is why I coach.