Pee Wee Soccer

My hat goes off to anyone who has ever coached a game of pee wee soccer.

I have friends who have hired professional photographers to come to these games to capture Junior just as he drills the ball into the corner of the net slightly out of the reach of the outstretched arms of the goalie. But if you've ever attended a pee wee soccer game you know that these photos have been doctored. What you're actually seeing is a picture of Junior in the parking lot after the game kicking a pop can superimposed over some stock photo downloaded from the internet.

There's no way that goal was ever scored like the picture indicated. How do I know? First, the ball is almost never kicked more than 10 feet at a time. Second, anyone who follows pee wee soccer at all knows that every member of both teams is always within 10 feet of the ball. And finally, the most common phrase heard from the sidelines is, "No, kick it the other way!!!!"

Tonight was Neti's first game. I will say this. By 5 and 6 year old standards she's above average. She can kick the ball fifteen feet. And only 10% of the time does she kick it the wrong way.

So I'll start with pictures that make our little Neti look like the star of the field. But as you proceed down through the images you'll soon realize what pee wee soccer is all about (and yes, with the exception of the last image, these were all taken during "live" action).

The behavior you're about to witness is commonplace on the pee wee soccer field. Take note. And go out of your way this week and thank your local pee wee soccer coach for his patience.