Soccer - Spring 2014

Our four oldest are just finishing up their regular season of soccer for this spring.

They all got to play on the same team again, for which we are very grateful.

And we got to play under Coach Matt again, for which we are very grateful.  Oh, to see the Lord's hand at work even in these "insignificant" matters is wonderful:  He knew exactly who to match us up with that very first season our children played soccer...and now we've had Coach Matt for all 4 seasons.  We love him...and the rest of his family.  

In fact, we've played with all of these players previously...great group of kiddos!

We're missing a couple of players here...so no, our kids don't actually make up 50% of the team.
Daddy was assistant coach this season, which we all loved.

Our kiddos continue to love soccer.  L - O - V - E   it.

Elisabeth being very serious and fierce about her throw-in

A couple of them now say they want to be professional soccer players when they grow up.

Daniel playing goalie some on Saturday.  Thankfully he
wasn't there the entire game...I'm too nervous to be a goalie-mama!

Elisabeth, Daniel and Noah continued to spend most of their time on defense...with Noah in the middle defender position.

Here Noah is motioning for one of his defenders to move up.  

Noah was not at all happy last season when Coach Matt put him in mid-defender.  But Noah has - surprise, surprise - become great at it.  Coach calls him "Little General."


He keeps his defenders right up near the center line, to keep the opposing team away, or get them called off-sides.

Once as I was "consorting with the enemy" on the opposite side of the field (talking to two of my friends who had children on the team we were playing that day) another opposing mom said, "That black team always has their defenders up so far."  Exactly!  That would be my Noah - doing a very great job - thankyouverymuch!

But this season, Coach Matt has had the children swap positions some ("some" meaning: when we were killing our opponent).  LK moved from striker to defense, and the other three moved over to offense.

Elisabeth acts much more aggressive when she's on offense than when she's on defense...it is neat to watch!

And Noah has surprised even himself, I think...with the way he has done on offense.  But immediately after he scored a goal on Saturday, he asked to be switched back to defense, because he felt winded.  No one would ever guess, though, that this little spitfire has had two open-heart surgeries, and has a pacemaker inside that cute little body!  

Noah getting after it

And speaking of spitfires - Coach Matt alternates between calling LK "bulldog" and saying she has "the heart of a lion."

She has just turned 8 and is by far the littlest out there among 10-14 year olds...but don't tell her that.

This girl knows no fear on the soccer field...and has some great natural ability.  Coach Matt has told me more than once lately that he just "loves to watch Lily play." He has big plans for Lily Kay.

And what does Mr. G do while we're out there?  He's a little bigger (and a lot more mobile!) than the 8-month old he was when they first began playing soccer. 

He's just right up in there.

 I don't know if he thinks he's actually part of the team...or the team mascot.



He seems to find the whole soccer thing just a whole lot of fun...and little wonder why.


He plays with Papa and LaoLao...

...and Coach Matt....

...and flirts with Coach's teen-age daughter, Kayla:

 These two are pretty crazy about each other....

...and it is so cute to see.

And I want to end with this picture I took Saturday at the soccer field.  This sums up my Libeth:

Always ready to laugh and make merry...even when she is just sucking on some orange to rehydrate.  Oh, I have much to learn from her...and each of my children!