sporty

My children have far exceeded my willingness to try and actually participate in a sport. I know I am coordinated. I know I have accuracy. I know I've had moments of even liking(sort of) an activity while I was playing. BUT. I really have major pe/sport event anxiety. My parents could not get me to play anything growing up. I looooved being on the sidelines and cheering all my friends on. I never even wanted to be out there or part of a "team." Maybe it had to do with the glasses at age 6 thing and being targeted in dodge ball?? I am just not competitive at all in most things! I am sure my parents think that I really might have wanted to play something or felt like I missed out, but it really has never bothered me one bit. Makenna started out just like me. I signed her up for soccer, she screamed and freaked out and said she would never play...this after just turning 5, mind you. She had fun at the few practices and then the first game was super! She played and kicked and tried to score and laughed and had a blast. Unbelievable. Then the second game came. The early morning game was freezing, Makenna was miserable, and she refused to move an inch inside the white line. She did not play at all, just cried. The third game came and she was done. Would not play again, though it was warm then. Stubborn, anyone? I made her go to every single game, even picture day, and she never played again after the first game. I was going to teach her about committment no matter what!!! It was awful. A few years passed and we tried the ballet thing, which she was not a fan of, and she loved her gymnastics class, but no sports. Last year basketball came around and I decided she was going to play. Tracen was dying to play, and had already done t-ball, so I just said they were both playing and that Tyson could help coach Mak's team and then Tracen's next year. I thought she would give in, but she went ballistic, falling down on the ground by the kitchen table and freaked. She ran around screaming and fled to her room declaring how evil we were and she would never eat or move again and would never leave her room so she could never play, blah, blah. Tyson marched her bottom to try-outs, and then to her first practice. She was learning and admitted to it being fun. Then both kids had their tonsils out. Baaaaad timing. They missed the first few games and were pretty much clueless about the time all the other kids were getting it. After a game or two, Tracen was still not a fan at all, but Makenna became a crazy woman out there. She was fighting girls for the ball and chasing them down and trying to score. Who was this child?? I guess her bball run helped her get over her fear of sports, and now she decided she wanted to play soccer while Tracen is trying out flag football. She is having so much fun and learning a lot. It is hard for a girl who has never...the other time did not count...played to be with girls who have played since they were 4 years old. I kept telling her this could be the case if she never tried then all of a sudden wanted to play in jr. high. It just won't happen. I'm so proud of her having fun and getting into it, not crazy by any means, but caring and playing her best. Tracen struggles some in the sports category, but the fact that he has played t-ball and soccer and not whined about it and wanted to play, even though he is not a natural athlete, makes me so proud, too. I know we will never be the crazy every night of the week hard core competitive family, and I am more than ok with that. I'm just glad they are trying and enjoying themselves while they are little...also causing the littlest to declare," I go to gynnnastics today! I jumpin' and rollin'! I goin' to soccie ball and takin' dat flag offa him! You takin' me? You seein' me? I playin' wif Kenna and Tacen!" She can't wait.