Harnessing the Energy of the World Cup

Thanks to my sister's thoughtful gift, Maya attended her first evening of soccer camp wearing a World Cup jersey straight from South Africa.

No wonder the wind was at her feet, keeping her in front of the five-year-old swarm around the ball.

I do understand why parents love to enroll their kids in sports, even non-sports enthusiasts like me. I don't get invited to watch Maya at preschool, so soccer is the first time in a long time that I've been able to see Maya in action. She is one confident, fearless, and I'm proud to say, politely aggressive kid on the field.


You could read her face when she was told to steal balls from the other teams net and kick them all the way back into hers. Puzzlement. Apprehension. Then, as the other kids started playing, and stealing neon green balls from one another, away she went. At one point she did decide that carrying two would be quicker than kicking one, but the coach righted that error pretty quick.


Five-year-old soccer is much more fun to watch than three-year-old soccer!