Let them have fun!

My son started soccer recently.  It was everything I expected, because I knew what to expect.  Two- and three-year-olds don't have a very long attention span, nor do they follow detailed directions well.  I expected that they would kick soccer balls, aim at targets, and run around like miniature whirlwinds for 45 minutes.  For the most part I was right.

For the first 10 minutes Little Man decided to show off his soccer skills and dribble the soccer ball from one end of the indoor field to the other, scoring goals.  Then class started.  They asked the kids to bring a ball and sit in the center in a circle.  So far, so good.  They explained the first game...half the kids began to move around but the parents got the gist of the instructions.  Take ball to coach, tell them your name (the kid's), they throw the ball and the kids fetch.  Repeat with another coach.  We did this with each coach twice.

After a water break, they split the kids up by ages.  We went with the 2's and listened somewhat patiently as they explained we were going to pretend we were animals and kick the ball.  "Act like an elephant, move slowly, kick the ball slowly."  At this point my son was getting a bit confused because he wasn't sure if they were playing animals or soccer.  Her took off to the field to dribble again.  About 4 animals in "pretend you're a T-rex" the coach realized that he was walking around hunched over like a T-rex, with all the parents watching and no kids in sight...

Then they switched games.  Destroying cone towers was a win!  What 2 or 3-year-old doesn't like to kick a ball and knock over a tower?  The it was time for the "party clean up game".  Was this a ploy to get all the balls and cones picked up?  If so, I give them an "E" for effort.  Unfortunately, the kids then found the buckets and got those out.  They also found, I believe a box of jerseys, and other assorted plastic cones and such.  At this point my son was leading a small pack of boys around the outside line in a choo-choo game.  I just let him, taking in the fact that even though he wasn't really learning anything, he was having a blast.

Another mother was very upset with her son, that he wasn't doing what he was supposed to.  I felt bad for her and her son.  I know he just wanted to play with Little Man and the other "choo choo boys" but she probably felt that she didn't want to waste the good money she paid for these classes.  I hope she noticed that none of the kids at this point were paying attention to the coaches and that her kids was having fun.  Which should be all that matters at this age.

When we left, the soccer field was a mess of jerseys, balls, cones, buckets, streamers, balloons.  And three bewildered young coaches.  I sure hope the coaches show up next week! Although we probably wouldn't notice if they didn't!