Bitty Soccer

Last night was the last night of Bitty Soccer for Jamie.  I don’t know if it’s his age or just who he is, but he really didn’t like it and is glad that he won’t have to go back.

 

 

Oh, he loves playing, kicking the ball around on his own or with me, and chasing Charles, but he does not enjoy drills and games with other kids and coaches.

 

His thumb, his source of comfort, stayed in his mouth nearly the full hour, every week.

 

Charles was a year older when he started Bitty Soccer, so maybe that was our mistake.  Maybe Jamie needs more time.  But I think he’s just different than his big brother in this way.  Charles loves to follow the enthusiastic directions of coaches (when he’s paying attention), he likes kicking and dribbling drills, and he likes silly skill games.  Jamie does not.  He would rather watch the other kids with his thumb in his mouth.  Is it the structure he doesn’t enjoy?  The crowd of people he doesn’t know?  I’m not sure.  Maybe he’ll be more into individual sports and activities and Charles will be my group sport kid.  Or maybe he’ll be up for the challenge next year.

 

I think, overall, that Bitty Soccer was my mistake.  I had hoped to have Jamie play for an hour while other adults supervised him and I read stories to Charles.  Then, we’d switch for Charles’s soccer practice and I would read stories to Jamie.  Instead, I was on the field for Jamie’s soccer practice the entire hour, leading to swollen feet and a totally unsupervised five-year-old every week for an hour for four weeks.

 

He’d rather do this than stand in line and kick the ball at the wall again and again.

 

Jamie said he wanted to do soccer.  He says he wants to do swimming and gymnastics, too.  But I wonder if he understands that his classes will not be the same as his brother’s.  Jamie relies on Charles quite a bit.  I have a feeling that Charles starting kindergarten this fall will be as much a shock to Jamie as it is to Charles.

 

I learned a little more about my child this past month.  And for awhile, we’re going to hold off on joining any more organized activities.