My daughter is playing on a Twin City Youth Soccer Association challenge level team this year after playing on a couple of Optimist rec league teams since our move to NC.  The big difference is that there are two practices a week plus at least one game and we will be traveling to play some games.  Rec league was one practice a week plus one game a week and all the games were played at the same field.

The other big difference for us this year is that I’ve volunteered to be an assistant coach on her team so we’ll be living and breathing soccer from now until next May with a brief respite during the winter.  So there won’t be any bumming rides for her to practice while we’re off doing other things.

The season started this past weekend with the TCYSA Classic Tournament which was held at the Sara Lee complex off of Shattalon Drive and the new BB&T complex in Davie County.  Something like 2,300 kids from all over NC (and a few from VA and WV) sweating their rear ends off on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  Our girls played twice on Saturday, losing 2-1 in the morning and 5-4 in the afternoon, and then once on Sunday, tying our Twin City counterparts 1-1.  This followed two weeks of three practices each (M,T,TR) and a month of informal scrimmaging with the other Twin City girl teams in our age group.

Sounds like a lot, but it’s worth the price.  I figure this is my last chance to spend significant time with Erin before she goes from boy crazy to boy obsessed and then forgets who I am.  The way I look at it there aren’t many better ways to spend an evening or a weekend.

Oh, and as for the tournament the good news is that all of the parents and coaches at our three games behaved very well.  None of the nightmare little league parent behavior that’s becoming more and more common these days.  Hopefully that’s a good omen for the rest of the year.  The bad news is that our goalie dislocated her knee in the second half of our first game.  She seemed a lot better on Sunday (she watched the game from the bench) and we all hope she’ll be back on her feet in a week or two.