The "B" Team, Huh???

Final tournament of the season this weekend.   This one was going to be a tough one.  The first team that we were scheduled to play was the other U11 team from our own club.  Half of which we were on a team with last season.  All season long the kids on the other team called us the "B" team, even though we had half of the players from the "A" team they put together last season on our team.  From the very beginning on paper I thought that that is what they had done too...set up two teams, trying to make it look like there wasn't an "A" and "B" but really the other team had a slight edge....just from looking at the list before the season started.  After seeing them play though, I felt that our team was actually better. I told Jayke from the first weekend we played that his team was better.  I told him all season long that his team was better.  They pulled players from our team all season to play on the other team but didn't send us any help until the very end once we really couldn't win our division.  One game they allowed us to go play without a full team!

All of this is what made it so sweet this weekend when we not only beat them, but beat them pretty handily AND with their full team there!  

It was a weird thing to sit and watch.  Our kids playing against their friends and teammates.  The parents were all pretty quiet on the sideline, not wanting to cheer against the other kids we normally cheer FOR.  We were up a couple of goals on them when they scored their first and then it started to get a little bit louder but for the most part it was eerily quiet for a tournament game.  We pulled ahead another goal and then another.  I think the score ended up being 5-1 and gave our kids a huge confidence boost going into the rest of the weekend!  There were a lot of silent sighs of relief from our parents on the side line because we REALLY wanted this after being designate the "B" team all season.  

Below is an intense game of Uno in between games.  Trying to kill some time and stay cool and relaxed in the shade.  I think they may have been placing bets!  I heard someone say, "I've got Jayke to win!"

Waiting for the final game to start.

Lunch in between games on day one with a few teammates.

They had these huge gigaballs for the kids to play in.  Jayke had to try it out.  It was too hot in there though and he didn't like it much...which I tried to tell him before he did it.

We went on to play for the championship but came up short after a long weekend in the grueling heat.  Our final game was played in almost 90 degrees.  The kids were exhausted after waiting 5 hours after their previous game finished.  Just not enough in the tanks.  We took home another second place trophy which isn't bad for the team who was expected to have a chance after their first game! Second place is better than nothing! So much for being the B team!  

Rain Delay

Jayke, Mason, and Mathew waiting out a rain delay.  Unfortunately it ended up being delayed for a week and we wasted an entire evening driving to Indy, waiting in the car, then driving straight back.  

A week later we went back and lost the game.  One more game to go and the regular season is over.  Tournament coming up this weekend though...hoping for better results!

All I do is Win, Win, Win...

No matter what!  Another win today.  Season is going really well!

Halloween in April

We FINALLY got our championship trophies for the Halloween Classic we played last October.  This whole trophy business was a mess from start to finish.  First we had to wait 6 months to get them since the tournament organizers weren't prepared and didn't have them in time....apparently they hadn't even ordered them since it took so long.  We got a message a week or so ago that we were going to finally be getting them on picture night.  We would receive our trophies and there would be a team photo taken etc. The whole club would watch us receive them since this was our first win at this age group ever.  We have been looking forward to this for a long time!  This morning when I looked at the weather forecast I wasn't even sure that we would have pictures at all let alone the trophy presentation.  It was cloudy, cold, and windy.  I mean, brutally windy.  Turns out we barely did have the presentation.  After this season's pictures were taken the kids were taken over across the field and each one was handed a box with their name on it.  The trophy was inside.  They told them to stand in front of this trailer because it was blocking the wind, and we all snapped a picture.  So here they are...the champs...looking like a rag-tag bunch of kids just trying to stay warm.

Soggy Bottom Boys

No Oma, no big hat, and we got the win today!  I'm glad it was warm because these kids were drenched.  The first rain drops hit my windshield right as I was pulling into the parking lot and it didn't let up the entire time we were there.  Jayke had a hard time seeing since he wears goggles to play.  At one point he ended up tossing them over to us on the sideline.  The coach told me later he came over and said, "I can't see anything but the ball!"  I guess if you can only see one thing, the ball is the one you want!

Reunited...and Rewarded!

These two are teammates once again!  They were both thrilled!  We even brought back the "fancy feet" and got matching cleats again.  This weekend was our first look at the new team.  From what I had been hearing from Jayke after practice I didn't have very high hopes.  He kept telling me how the coach isn't playing anyone in their normal positions and some other crazy stuff.  I quickly changed my mind though once I saw us roll over the competition at our season opening tournament in Brownsburg.  

After day one we had won both of our games and it was looking pretty good for us heading into the final day of play.  We easily won our third game which put us in the championship game.  Great way to start the season.  Coming off of last season's Championship win at our final tournament, this was a great sign for our team this season! 

We ended up going to overtime in the championship game but couldn't quite pull off the win.  We ended up as tourney runner up and got a nice trophy for it!  Finally, getting to bring home some hardware that isn't just for participation.  Runner up right out of the gate isn't too shabby, looking forward to what this team can do the rest of the season and in our next two tournaments!

Too Much to Overcome

These two poor kids.  All season this is where they have been.  Sitting and watching.  They get to go in for a few mins then he takes them right back out.  Finally today, the final day of the season, they are getting to play.  We lost two players from the team so now he has to let them play and you know what?  They are doing a good job.   Imagine what they could have done had they been given a chance all season???

Jump ahead two weeks...

Below is how we kill time during a five hour break in Marion for a tournament...

This tournament was even more heart breaking then the rest of the season.  Jayke ended up taking himself out and off the team for good.  When he sat all but 2 mins of a game he finally said he was done that if the coach didn't think he was good enough he wasn't going to sit and watch.  I don't blame him.  Normally I would tell him he has to finish what he starts and not give up but his coach gave up on him a long time ago.  He did more harm to him in this season than you can imagine.  I watched his heart break more and more on the bench every game.  We should all just be happy I kept my composure and just walked out before giving that ass a piece of my mind. We can thank Jeff for that since he jumped in his car and drove an hour up there once he heard what was going on.   At eleven years old there are way more important things than just winning.  The damage that was done to Jayke's self confidence will still remain to be seen but I can tell you he was broken on the way home.

He blamed his dad for not being there to work with him and teach him the game.  A lot of anger came out of him and a lot of things directed at the lack of a father he has been.  He won't speak to his dad now.  He said he can't make up for not being there for the past 9 years.  He is right.  He is starting to see the things he is missing by not having a dad around.  And there will only be more to come.

Always his Head

Jayke, Connor, His friend ?, Mason, and Alec

Jayke got invited to go skiing with Mason a few days ago.  I was a little worried about letting him go since he never has been and also based on my limited and unpleasant experience skiing.  I've been once.  Once is all I needed to determine it wasn't for me.  Turns out Jayke is just like his momma!  He had the exact same experience.  He fell down the entire mountain.  Only difference is he hit his head really hard.  Hard enough for the parent he was with to text me to see if he could take Tylenol.  It never fails, every time he goes any where he either hits his head or just gets a headache that sidelines him.  Poor kid.  

At least Bob and Angie got a few pics of him on skis since it will probably be a once in a lifetime thing!

After the great fall down the mountain, Angie took Jayke, her son, and his friend to the tubes.  This was much more enjoyable for him.  I'm glad he got to go so that he can say he has been and know whether or not he wants to do it again.  He just has no dare devil in him.  Probably why we haven't had to spend any time in the er yet.  I wish he had a little more in him...not er levels but just a little bit.

Perfect North Slopes

Thank God the Season is Almost Over!

The team is doing well but I've been more than frustrated with this season and Jayke's lack of playing time.  Today we played Jeff's son's team.  The Central Bearcats.  We are down a man so Jayke actually got to play some today instead of just being subbed in to give other players a 2 minute rest.  I thought that he did really well for a kid whose confidence has been shattered and his play has diminished due to never getting a chance.  If you don't play the kids they will never learn and never improve.  They have to have a chance and this season Jayke has gotten less and less playing time with each game.  If he is yanked out any time he misses a shot he isn't going to take shots anymore.  I watch his body language on the bench and it becomes more and more deflated as the game goes on.  Finally, today, he got to play more in one game than he has all season!   It took Adam breaking his nose for Jayke to get an opportunity to play more.  Was it enough to make up for the damage that has been done this season?  Not hardly.  He played well though and I was proud.

We won by 30 some points.  Jayke scored 3 points but his defense is what I was most proud of (and always is).  Good job, buddy!

Basketball Season has Started

Jayke is playing on the same AAU team he played on last year.  We got new uniforms with the Delta colors this year.  Unfortunately, Jayke was injured in the beginning of the season and hasn't been getting much playing time since.  Hopefully that changes soon.  If only his grandmother would take him to the Y after school to work on his shots...

Tourney Champs!

Cold morning.  This tournament is always cold.  The forecast was predicting it to warm up into the 70s though.  Fingers crossed.  We were hoping the warmer weather would be the key to helping us finally bring home a championship.  So many seasons of coming up short in the freezing cold.

We took all of the usual pictures...

Except this year, we got to take the team photo as champs!  We won our age group.  Finally these kids got to see what it feels like to be called tourney champs!  

After months of practice.  Coming up short of the championship games, not once but twice, in our two earlier tournaments.  Dropping from 1st in our division to 3rd by the end of the season on a 3 game losing streak.  Losing to the last place team. Watching Jayke deal with a lack of playing time.   Overcoming many pulled muscles and finally fighting through 4 tough games this weekend to come out on top by beating the team that dropped us to 3rd place. We finally beat the Indy Premier team that beat us in our final two games of the season.  Finally got a trophy that wasn't a participation trophy.  Finally get to be called Champions.  Instantly all of those previous things didn't matter.

It was a great weekend of soccer.  It was 70 degrees.

Party at Jayke's Place!

(This is only a small representation of the entire group)

Literally.  I had the entire team plus some of their younger siblings in our "other" hotel room...aka..."Jayke's Place".  

After coming home from Colorado I had to turn around and go back to Carmel for a soccer game the very next day.  That, in itself, wasn't too bad but didn't leave much time for packing...or should I say RE-packing for the following weekend in Louisville, Kentucky.  

Friday after we returned from our trip out west, we headed south to Louisville for a two day soccer tournament.  We got two hotel rooms, one for the 3 kids and one for us (Jeff and me).  Saturday we had two games and afterwards the entire team headed back to the hotel for swimming, a carry-in dinner, and then...party at Jayke's place.  He invited the entire team up to his hotel room for a "party".  I must have been temporarily out of my mind and agreed to this.  

All the kids made a break for the elevators and stairs before I could even blink.  I was trying to get up there with them so I could lay down some ground rules but kept getting hung up by more parents asking if they could, conveniently, send their kid up as well.  Sure!  The more the merrier...(wth was I thinking?)

I finally got up there and luckily, I had a key since I was unaware of the secret code word to get admission.  Once inside I was overwhelmed by the smell of kids who had been out playing soccer, swimming, eating garlic bread sticks, and running through the hotel.  They had turned the air conditioner off which helped contribute to the ripeness in that room.  After the smell hit me, the next thing I was aware of was that all the lights were off, there was a strobe light going, and they had chosen to listen to Eminem while all laying around on the beds and floor playing their tablets.  Pretty tame, as long as they kept the noise level down and the AC up.  Each kid had also brought host gifts, it appeared.  There was a collection of half eaten bags of Goldfish crackers, fruit roll ups, and other chosen snacks piled on the tv stand.  I also discovered that before I arrived there must have been a pretty intense Cheese ball war waged.  

I can't even imagine how people have more than two kids and keep their sanity.  I felt like a top, spinning around and around.  Picking up shoes, socks, cheese balls, orange coated wash clothes (from the cheese balls) and even a toothbrush and toothpaste.  I had kids coming at me from all angles asking questions, telling me things, and Jayke showing off by MOUTHING off and trying to usher me out of the room.  My main objective was to get them to understand they had to be quiet or the wheelchair bound gentleman in the room adjacent to theirs would likely get us removed from the premises.  Once it was down to a dull roar, I left for my room with one last order...they had to come tell me if they were leaving to go back to their room or any other reason.

I then made my way across the hall and down towards the elevator where I propped the door open and set up camp in a chair where I could see both the tv, and the hall way.  The party broke up not too long after it started.  They were in there maybe an hour before they all started heading to their own rooms, whether by their choice or their parent's.   All in all, it wasn't as bad as what I thought it would be.  We didn't get kicked out and all the lamps were still standing.  Everyone had to get to bed for an early morning game.  We played for the win in our bracket but, ultimately were eliminated and didn't advance.  We headed home in shock after rolling through the first day and only allowing one goal the entire tournament.   Too bad it was the one that put us out.

Our soccer club arranged for some of our kids to participate in the pre-game activities at the Indy Eleven game.  Indy Eleven is in their second season as a professional soccer team in Indianapolis.  They play at the IU Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium.  You can see where a couple of the players from the Indy Eleven came to our fields here.  

Well over 50 kids signed up to participate in one of 3 "elements" of the pre-game.  There was the tunnel crew, flag bearers, and player escorts.  Each kid was given an Indy Eleven t-shirt to wear during the event.   DCFC got 34 spots and Jayke and Emily were both chosen to be flag bearers.  Jayke was a little bummed that he didn't get to carry the American flag but was still excited to be able to participate.  We were playing a team from Canada so they got to carry the Canadian flag.  Emily got to carry the Indy Eleven flag.

Here are the four flag bearers carrying the flag onto the field.

Brynna, Matthew, Jayke, and Jonathan holding the flag below.  All are members of Jayke's team and Brynna plays on the other U11 team and has played on teams with Jayke in the past.

Emily, bottom left corner, holding the Indy Eleven flag.

Before they carried the flags onto the field all of our kids who were there from DCFC got to play in a mini game.  Below are some pictures of Jayke in action!

Indy scored the first goal!  The picture below shows the rowdy section that we were all wishing we were in.  They were having way more fun over there...gotta love soccer fans, they're nuts!

It was a little calmer where we sat.

The game ended in a tie.  We had a bunch of tired cold kids on the way home, but they had a lot of fun.  I want to go back soon!