Soccer Mom...

Austin has played Soccer since he was 4 years old in his tiny little cleats running in circles on the field and sitting on the ground picking grass. He is now a linebacker 10 years later and mowing these boys down like their breakfast and it's a whole different game watching him play now. He's been fortunate enough to be on the same team all 10 years.

And I've been fortunate (or Crazy) enough to be the Team Mom/Manager for 9 of those years. We've always kept the same 7 or 8 players that come back each year and add in a handful of new ones. We've met and made some great friends along the way. I've had such joy in watching these boys grow up over the years. They all refer to me as "Mama ----" (insert last name here), and when we had sweatshirts made up this year for the team with our names on it, that's exactly what I put on mine. I enjoy it when they refer to me that way, or come up and give me hugs or know they can talk to me about anything. They email me themselves, call me and I know I've left a memory with them of someone who supports and cares for their well being. I make sure they have water at each game or I give them mine. I make sure they stay cool by squirting them down with misters. I make sure they are out of the rain by sitting under my pop-up tent. I make sure they have a place to sit at half time by giving them my chair. And if they are hurt, I am the first standing up checking on them, many times before their own parents.

The boys are at an age now where they are all going off in their own directions as they start High School. Playing High School sports now and not the leagues. Journeys that will take them in all sorts of new directions full of hope and promise. The future is theirs to conquer. I can only hope that they take with them a small part of what they have learned while being a part of our team all this time. That something I said or did will stick with them. That just maybe...these "big boys" will remember their "Mama ----" and think fondly of me. Because I'm gonna miss these boogers. The Stinky, Sweaty, Dirty, lovely little messes they are, I'm gonna miss every one of them.

I wish them all the best on their new adventures!
XOXO