Soccer Season

This fall we had a busy soccer season. While neither has played soccer since preschool, both Owen and Cole decided to give it a try this year. Definitely not an easy feat picking up a sport that most others have played for a decade. They both gave it their all.

Owen hadn't planned on playing soccer and practices were already well underway when he was asked late August after school started. With a small school in dire need of players, he said yes. 

 

The Groves soccer team is co-ed and with only enough players for a varsity team, all the kids got plenty of game time. Owen was new to the sport, but everyone was very welcoming. 

He had a great time learning the game and meeting other kids. They had several games across the metro area, and while they didn't win any, their goals of playing their best, having fun, and getting at least one goal each game were accomplished.

Overall, it was a great soccer season and we had so much fun cheering him on.

Cole joined the Rams Adaptive Athletics team this year. They are a co-ed team comprised of kids from both the Mounds View and Roseville schools districts. He wasn't overly thrilled about joining the team, but with a bit of encouragement, he decided to give it a shot. 

Their team is small with only a few subs compared to some much larger teams they played against. He is one of the younger kids on the team with the majority of players being in high school. His Coach, Ian Porter, has been his DAPE (Developmental Adapted Physical Education) teacher since Cole was just a wee little lad in elementary school, so we knew he was in good hands.

The Rams play soccer inside a gymnasium. With a smaller court than normal and no friction from the grass, it's a fast paced game with balls sailing from one end of the court to the other. They traveled all over the metro area playing other teams.

Cole is not a very aggressive person in general, so this was definitely outside his wheelhouse, but he made some great gains as the season progressed.

Cole had a great first season of soccer. Next up on the agenda for him - adapted floor hockey! Stay tuned.