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The reluctant soccer mom

by Melissa Summers (Subscribe to Melissa Summers's posts)
Sep 15th 2005 2:06PM

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soccer kidsI really want to be excited about soccer. I drive a minivan and live in the suburbs and I've embraced so many of the Soccer Mom attributes, why not be excited about this chance for my kids to participate in group sports? I'm happy my daughter is so enthusiastic for the sport, considering her early problems with clubfoot and then gross motor delays. And you'd be hard pressed to see something as adorable as my little boy yelling out to Catie and Julia, "High five me baby!" during his practice. But mostly, the routine exhausts me.

You read a lot about the hyperscheduled children of the world. All the activities and classes kids are involved in and even though I’m a stay at home mother and could have easily set my kids up for that life, I didn’t. There is one important reason I didn’t: I am lazy. My friend and I, both stay at home mothers, laugh at ourselves because we’re always at dance class, or gymnastics with the working parents on the weekends because the thought of racing around after school gives us hives.
Since soccer started my life has changed drastically. With two kids in the sport all I do is keep track of the games and the practices. I’m absent minded most of the time so I pack up their gear bags and drive to the field, with the bags…still at the back door where I left them ready to go. I write on my calendar the date and time of the game, but go to the wrong field. Maybe I’m just not used to it. Probably I’ll figure out how to stay on top of everything…and then the season will be over.

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