AYSO ... the awesome beginning

EDITOR’S NOTE: There’s nothing quite like the first time in most

any endeavor. This AYSO coach from Region 97 tells it like it is and it

pretty well sums up that first-year soccer experience for youngsters.

Some call it swarm ball, or ameba ball. What do you really expect from

5-year-olds?

Our team is the T-Rex’s and our cheer is “HAVE FUN!”

As a first-year coach, I had virtually no experience with the “world’s

sport” of soccer. Although, with the fabulous help of Larry Webb, AYSO

Region 97 coaching coordinator, he provided the coaches with all the

tools to “make a difference.”

For our entire team (almost all first-year kids), this could be their

first experience with competition, not only in sports, but the

competitive world we live in.

We are a recreational organization and we do not keep score ... but

they know, who runs fast and scores. I so wanted to make it a

confidence-building experience, with positive and rewarding experiences.

First and lasting memories, full of laughter and joy that will bring them

all back next year.

Can you really coach 5-year-olds? Sports psychologists will tell you

“basically no,” and not to overcoach them, nor push them. If you provide

them with a positive and nurturing environment in which they can express

themselves in a self discovery environment and yes, HAVE FUN!, they will

learn.

Was this year rewarding? Oh, yes! Beyond my wildest dreams and distant

memories of my personal childhood. I feel blessed with the good fortune

of a great soccer mentor and friend, my neighbor. One of the greatest

gifts you can give, is sharing your quality time and experiences with the

future citizens of our great community and the world ... the children.

Now, from the coach, but through the eyes of 5-year-olds:

We started the season learning each other’s names, Campbell D’Eliscu,

Wills Johnson, Jon Jon Lee, Wyatt Devine, Zachary Stilgenbaurer, Bobby

Kearns, Reed Pfeiffer and Kellen Nieghbors and we are all friends.

We laugh and play at practice ... I always look forward to Thursday

afternoon practice. We have uniforms and with numbers on them and we have

cool soccer shoes and we play games on Saturdays.

Our first game was hard; most of us did not even know which way to go.

All our coach talked about was having fun and telling the other team and

us how well we are doing. We use the “magic words” on our team. We say

please, thank you and we are good sports. If someone falls down or gets

an ooweeh, we kick the ball out of bounds to stop the game and make sure

they are all right.

We shake hands with the other team at the end of the game and tell

them “good job.” Our parents form a bridge with their arms and we run

under them as they cheer us on, then we get treats.

Our parents are very quiet during the game and they mostly say “good

job” and tell us to have fun.

Coach Bruce says we are all responsible for good sportsmanship and we

should have respect for one another.

After every game and practice we hug our parents and thank them for

providing us with the opportunity to play soccer and for driving us. We

have been playing for a couple of months now. We are all running with the

ball, we are scoring goals, we pass the ball to each other, we are

learning the laws of the game and were are having fun. Our team had a

Halloween party and our parents really like each other.

We are all friends now and our team picture, trophy and my T-Rex

uniform will be one of my most cherished memories and those memories will

be a solid foundation for my years ahead.

Thank you to my fabulous team parents, assistant coach Larry, Team Mom

Chris and all the AYSO volunteers who make a difference.

Coach Bruce and Campbell