Before I got married and had kids, the only thing that I knew about soccer was that it was played somewhere besides Alabama. I thought it was some sport that was played in Europe because they didnt know how to play real football. When I met my wife and her family, I became aware that it was played in the US, but apparently only out west in Arizona and California where all of the enlightened people live. We spent a year in Houston, Texas and low and behold it was played there too. Thats when Josh first started playing. Now our lives seem to revolve around it. Both kids have tried baseball and football, but have eventually come back to soccer as their favorite (much to their fathers dismay). However, if they enjoy it, and it envolves outdoor activity and exercise, so be it. My wife currently posts our schedule on the fridge so that we (i'm being generous....its really for those outside of Krista's head) can keep our schedules straight. Currently we have practices every night except for Friday during the week, and we generally play games on both Saturday and Sunday (for both boys...so double your pleasure).
This weekend was one of the weekends where both boys are playing games, however they are playing in different places......in this case different cities......and different states.... Krista and I have to tag team and divide and conquer in these cases. Krista took Josh to his game and I took Matthew on Saturday and then we switched on Sunday. Now comes the fun part...... All day on Saturday, I had been telling people that Krista was with Josh in Hammond, LA at a tournament. Hammond is about 3o miles west of Mandeville. I just knew it to be a fact.... Dont ask me why.... I just did. So on Sunday morning, we got up and got ready. Krista helped me get everything that we would need together and even went so far as to put a map to the fields in the SUV. She showed it to me. It was unspecific other than specifying the exit number and then directions to the field from there. Great! Thats all I really need. We have to be there 45 minutes before game time so we left about an hour before that. Josh and I are having great coversations and discussions about Fantasy Football and the college football games from Saturday. We are laughing and discussing the game to come. He innocently asks me, "Are we almost there Dad?". I check the exit number and let him know that its just a few more miles....Exit 28.... I get distracted and realize that I must have passed the exit so I have to turn around to go back. Josh nervously laughs and just shakes his head at me. I then start watching the mile markers closely. 25....26.....27.....28.....29......Wait a second..... They must have made a typo on the exit number.... Nope...... Thats when I realize that Josh's game is in Gulfport, Mississippi.....in the exact opposite direction than i had been travelling for the last 45 minutes... Its 915 and Joshes game begins in 45 minutes.... After doing the math in my head, I come to the obvious conclusion that we will miss a significant portion of the game. Josh is crushed and distraught, but after losing it for a few minutes, he eventually tells me, "Its OK, Daddy.." Josh then confiscates my cell phones so that I can no longer be distracted.
We make it to the game during the second half. Josh doesnt get to play in that game, but gets to play in the second game and does pretty well. We play some tough, and dirty, teams and lose both games in hard fought battles. I sat with the other parents who appeared to be looking at me with some degree of pity after becoming aware of my odyssey. I try to cheer at the right time and sound like I know what I'm talking about..... "He's offsides!" "That should be a yellow card!".... After all is said and done, I still have no idea how the game is played nor do I really have any desire to learn.... I just try to be supportive and tell the boys to "be aggressive". Maybe that will count for something someday if they ever decide to play a sport that I understand....
