My little boy
I took Nathaniel to Football Club on Wednesday.
Having booked him in on Tuesday (forward planning and organisation being key features of our family life) we realised that he didn't actually have any trainers, so first job was to get to SportsWorld and get him a pair. His first football trainers, a pair of Umbros reduced to seven quid, trying not to think to hard about the Vietnamese kids about his age who probably sewed them together :-(
So to the club, a session for 4-5 year olds at the indoor pitch at the local high school. About 25 lads and one girl, all bigger than my little boy, only just four, short for his age, and with the football coming up to just over his knees. Some have obviously been last term and the two coaches know most of their names, and I was impressed that by the end of the hour they seemed to have got all the names learnt.
Skills training first: dribbling, heading, keepie ups with feet and thigh. My little boy starting off running all over the place but then started to get the hang of things. Between exercises they all had to come into the middle of the hall with their footballs and sit and listen. The first time they did this, a lot of those who had been previously were sat on their footballs. Nathaniel sat next to his and held it. The second time he tried to sit on his, but was a bit wobbly. Third and subsequent times he sat on it, no problem, just like all the others. My little boy.
Then it was time for 5-a-side matches. 10 little people running round after a football. My introvert, control seeking, little boy's idea of hell, especially if nobody's explained to him what's going on. Why couldn't he have the ball and what was meant to be happening? Why hadn't daddy explained what happens in a game of football? Because I hadn't realised that I needed to, I hadn't got into his head and thought in advance about what he wouldn't know, but might need to know to enable him to get the best of it. My little boy.
He loved it, and wants to go back (just as well really as you have to pay for 4 weeks in advance), my little boy, growing up fast.
Having booked him in on Tuesday (forward planning and organisation being key features of our family life) we realised that he didn't actually have any trainers, so first job was to get to SportsWorld and get him a pair. His first football trainers, a pair of Umbros reduced to seven quid, trying not to think to hard about the Vietnamese kids about his age who probably sewed them together :-(
So to the club, a session for 4-5 year olds at the indoor pitch at the local high school. About 25 lads and one girl, all bigger than my little boy, only just four, short for his age, and with the football coming up to just over his knees. Some have obviously been last term and the two coaches know most of their names, and I was impressed that by the end of the hour they seemed to have got all the names learnt.
Skills training first: dribbling, heading, keepie ups with feet and thigh. My little boy starting off running all over the place but then started to get the hang of things. Between exercises they all had to come into the middle of the hall with their footballs and sit and listen. The first time they did this, a lot of those who had been previously were sat on their footballs. Nathaniel sat next to his and held it. The second time he tried to sit on his, but was a bit wobbly. Third and subsequent times he sat on it, no problem, just like all the others. My little boy.
Then it was time for 5-a-side matches. 10 little people running round after a football. My introvert, control seeking, little boy's idea of hell, especially if nobody's explained to him what's going on. Why couldn't he have the ball and what was meant to be happening? Why hadn't daddy explained what happens in a game of football? Because I hadn't realised that I needed to, I hadn't got into his head and thought in advance about what he wouldn't know, but might need to know to enable him to get the best of it. My little boy.
He loved it, and wants to go back (just as well really as you have to pay for 4 weeks in advance), my little boy, growing up fast.
posted by Carter Clan at 5:32 pm
1 Comments:
Lovely stuff :O)
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