After an absence of one season, Callie decided that she wanted to play soccer again. John decided that he would enjoy helping out with the team and signed up to be an assistant coach. As it turned out, no other parent signed up to coach, so John ended up being the head coach of the Sharks, a team of girls all 8 and under. It was quite an experience to say the least. Fortunately, it was a very good experience for both the player and her father the coach.
It is a bit of an understatement, however, to say that the season was also a bit challenging. Of eleven players on the team there were probably six or seven who had never played soccer before, and the lack of experience showed in the 0-10 record we accumulated. Although the record does not show it, the coach and all the players grew throughout the season as a team and most importantly, they had a lot of fun. The main emphasis every week was to make sure the girls had a good attitude, tried hard, and learned a little about the game.
At the beginning of the season, games resembled the beehive formations of the U-6 league, but by game ten the girls were showing a bit more skill and discipline on the field so that at times it actually looked like they were playing positions and not just running around. With the spring season just months away signs point to Callie and John making another run with the Sharks. John has his pair of shark-embroidered shorts ready to go.
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