One Down, Two To Go

Last night, Thing One formally accepted a position on a travel soccer team for next year.  (Tryouts are held in spring for the following fall and spring seasons.)  This will be his sixth year of travel soccer, but the first five were all with one club and he will be switching clubs for next year. Even more significantly, he is leaving one club's B team to take a position on an equivalent club's A team, which virtually NEVER happens, particularly in his relatively advanced age group. It's almost impossible to break onto an established A team as an unknown outside player.  In the soccer world, this is as big an 'attaboy' as it gets, and directly reflects the fact that he has been busting his tail all year to improve his skills.  He is beyond overjoyed and I am so proud of the kid I am all but doing a jig, even though moving up a level means that some of his games will now be out of state (bring on the logistical issues for parents.)  It's his dream and he earned the opportunity fair and square with blood and sweat. Not a bad life lesson for a 12 year-old.

Thing Two and Petunia are also in the midst of the tryout process, but clubs generally deal with older age groups first and then work down. We've heard nothing yet for Petunia, but today Thing One's new club called Thing Two back for an invitation-only practice on Saturday (nice) and also asked him to guest-goalie for them in a game tomorrow night (a big deal) so it seems that they are interested in him as well. So far this looks a lot like the approach they took with Thing One, so we'll see how it goes. All the dust should have settled with both remaining kids by the second week of May and thank all the gods for that.  There is life beyond the soccer field, after all.