Okay, so the season for soccer here in the great white north hasn't quite arrived. If I needed a firm reminder, I got it this morning. I woke for work at my usual time of 5:55. Had my extremely quick shower, threw on my clothes and shoved my contacts into my eyes. I walked outside after throwing on my coat and finding my keys only to be greeted by about 6 inches of fresh wet snow. When I had arrived home the night before at 10:30 it was a balmy 3 degrees outside and snow was not on my mind in the least. Alas, it's all part of living in Prince George where we seem to receive multiple false Spring weather systems. A week ago the snow was melting rapidly, I had chipped most of the ice off of the driveway, and dozens of joggers were out roaming the city street. Fast forward to today, and we now have nearly a foot of fresh snow on the ground between last night's dump and one we received the other day. The weather is still mild as it hasn't fallen more then a few degrees below zero, but for those like me who aren't really winter enthusiasts it can be frustrating.
I have soccer on my mind because I made a call yesterday to Steve who I co-coached with last year. His daughter was a first time player last year, but by all indications she is eager and ready to play again this year. A wise choice as she really is a natural. Steve and his wife have a brand new baby at home but he is ready to help guide a team once again. Our girls will be in the same division as last year, they will be in the older set now as it is a combined under 9 and 10 group. I had a lot of fun last year coaching as there were numerous positives about the whole experience. It was enjoyable to see how receptive to advice most of the girls were, and how appreciative they were to our advice. They really had a lot of fun too, as we the coaches were often the butt of harmless jokes. The effort level was great, which is a huge indicator at the age level of whether or not the kids are enjoying themselves. All in all, I am looking forward to another great season.
Another reason why the thought of soccer season has me excited is the thought of returning to the playing field myself. My work schedule over the past 4 years has provided a significant hinderance to my involvement in the city league. Last year, the recreational league played Monday nights, the same night that Jasmine's team played and I had to bow out of playing altogether. This year, while I still have to work the weekends which makes it nearly impossible to commit to a team in the Open League, Jasmine's games have been moved to Tuesday's it appears, which means my Monday nights are free once again. While the level of soccer is mediocre, I am looking forward to kicking the ball around in real games once again. I am even considering a return to being a referee, something that I really enjoyed as a teenager. It may be too much, as I will already be at the field to play and coach 3 times a week but I'm thinking about it. The other challenge is that I would likely be treated as a beginner, meaning I would have to take the 3 day course and pay $150 to become a referee. I'm not sure I can or want to put myself through the course for something I'm thinking about on a whim. I have another month or so to decide.
I have managed to keep relatively active over the winter months what with my hockey games and lifting weights in the basement. The warm weather and longer days has me brainstorming different ways of being active and looking forward to getting out and exercising under the open skies once again. In my last post I mentioned my desire to set some lofty running goals for the year, and here in this post I am commiting to playing soccer once again. What next? Will I be looking to join the football league? Take up kayaking? Give ultimate frisbee a try? Actually, I am considering that last one. It's a great work out and it's inexpensive to take up. Hurry up and get here summer!
No comments:
Post a Comment