And so it begins . . .

Tonight is the first night of soccer practice for Emma. This is her first experience in any sort of "organized" sport (we'll see how organized it is after the first practice--ha!) and I'm excited. She has always shown more athletic ability at age 5 than I think I ever had.

I can't say that I didn't try. I did softball from about 1st grade through junior year of high school--except I never really got over my fear of the ball. I loved playing first base but I lost that position to left-handed girls, so then I got to play outfield. Fun. I played basketball in junior high and high school. I wasn't too bad, but back then it was still 6-on-6. That means I could play defense and never have to shoot the ball. I played volleyball and liked that a lot as well, although I wasn't ever really good at serving. Or setting. Or blocking (height challenged). But I liked it and hubby and I even took a volleyball class in college and played co-rec. Heck, I even ran track a few years. I just wasn't ever great at any of them and didn't get past the junior varsity teams. My senior year I stopped all sports and became a cheerleader instead.

Hubby's family has some athletic ability--more than mine, I dare to say. He played baseball when he was younger and still likes to play in men's softball leagues. Of course hubby golfs, which is athletic, but a Dr. he once saw said it doesn't count as physical activity. Ha! His sister was the jock of the family, playing softball, basketball and volleyball competitively through her first year of college.

So now it begins. Tonight there will be six 5 and 6-year olds running around a soccer field trying (not) to kick each other while going after one ball. In May, softball starts. I have a feeling it is just the beginning of many years to come. Let's play ball!