Soccer

Aside from our cabin, soccer has been keeping us busy.  Isaac is on the middle school team this year, just like he was last year.  The difference this year is that I am one of the coaches.  Two of the coaches from last year had kids on the team that moved to high-school so I am one of two new victims coaches this year.  Middle school soccer is a little different from rec-league that I have coached before.  In particular, it takes a lot more time.  We practice 5-6 days a week for 2 hours at a time, especially at the beginning of the season.  I mostly enjoy the whole deal and it is a great opportunity to hang out some with Isaac and some of his friends.  It’s a good game too and I like to see the kids get in shape as they move from lazy-summer-existence to lean-mean-soccer machines.

Kanawha county makes it really though to be a volunteer though.  I do not get paid for my work which is fine.  I had to pay $250 out of my own pocket to take a 3-day  class to become a certified coach.  Fine.  I then had to pay for my own finger printing ($38), do a ton of paperwork, show a college diploma (or HS), take a drug test, take 2 hours off from work to watch a really stupid video series for “orientation”.  The only show the videos during the day at a certain time…exactly when I needed to be at my job that actually does pay money.  It sucks and was ridiculous.  It is amazing to me that I can buy a gun with less trouble and faster than I can become a coach.  I get that we need to make sure that kids are safe and that creeps are not allowed access to them, but there has to be a cheaper and better way to make this convenient for people who work and simply do this to help kids out.

Anyhow, I am done with all of the paperwork (not really, I just got a new form Wednesday night, but it is simple) so I should be able to enjoy the actual coaching part.  The teams are great this year and it is of course, more fun to win that lose (though I can handle it either way). When I was in school, I remember playing in the snow on several occasions.  I hate that global warming is upon us, but if there is a chance that we won’t play in the snow, I guess I have to accept that benefit!  Anyhow, cheers to soccer!