Doug is on a Soccer Team, too!

Yesterday was Doug's first soccer practice. This is the first time he has been on any sports team. I think it is going to be a very positive experience for him. His team is very small (only 8 boys), so they don't have a full team to play for their games, but plan on playing 8 on 8. Because his team is so small, each of the boys get a lot more individual attention. They have a really good coach whose philosophy it is to give every boy plenty of time in the game. (Since it is such a small team, every boy will be playing the entire game, anyway...but it is nice that the coach comes more from a mindset of making this a positive experience for each boy rather than having winning be the dominating factor.) Doug's coach, himself, knows what it is to live with a disability. He was was shot in Afganistan back in 1991 and has gone through multiple extensive back surgeries since then and has more ahead to endure. Also, there is another boy on the team with special needs. He is deaf, and has a cochlear implant. There is a college student that will be helping with half of their practices and I noticed she really took extra time with Doug, helping him get the hang of dribbling the soccer ball down the field between his feet. This is quite a challenge for him, requiring more coordination than he is used to having to exercise. Turns out, this young lady is a physical therapy student with hopes of one day working with cerebral palsy children. What a blessing that SHE is the assistant for Doug's team!

Doug is really excited about being on the team...it is ALL he has been talking about. He is really excited at the prospect of getting geared up with new shin guards and the team uniform, too. (You know Doug...always eager to accessorize!) His special ed teacher has promised to come to some of his games. Doug is really excited about that, too!

Doug's first game will be this coming Saturday. Unfortunately, we had already advertised an Open House for our home in KC for this Saturday. So, I will have to head up to KC to man the Open House while Grant takes Doug to his first game, here in Bolivar. Rayna has been invited to a birthday party that day, too, so, I guess she will stay in Bolivar with Grant and Doug so she can attend her friend's party.

We are thoroughly over-booked this Friday...Grant and I have an appointment to get our taxes done at H&R Block Friday at 4:30. Meanwhile, Rayna has a bowling (birthday) party of another friend that starts at 5:00pm, Darcy has soccer practice beginning at 4:30, and Doug has soccer practice beginning at 5:30. Tuesday, we will also have to split up and go different directions...Darcy has her second soccer game in Springfield at the same time that Rayna is having a school program in Bolivar. This will be Rayna's first school program, ever, and she was one of the handful of children selected to have speaking roles. She has spent the last couple of weeks memorizing her lines and practicing! The program will be "The Three Little Pigs' Opera".

It looks like this will be a VERY BUSY Spring!