"The best goalie EVER!"

This is a little known fact about me: I am one of those crazy, loud, annoying sports fans that everyone stares at during sporting events, hoping that my vocal chords will give out before the game ends so peace can be restored to the cosmos. Shocking, I know. But it's only specific sporting events. Take me to a BYU football game and I will cheer along with the crowd between mouthfuls of kettle korn, I will sing the fight song, I will wear my white and blue, I will blend in like any other loyal fan. No embarrassment, vocal chords intact. But, get me onto the sidelines of any field or court with a member of my family playing on it and I go crazy! I found this out at BYU when Jeff played on an intramural basketball team with my cousin and their roommates. I have to premise this with the fact that the referees were complete idiots, but let's just say that Jeff and Jared had to remind me more than a few times that letting the refs know my feelings was not helping their team out. Who knew that I could be so passionate about basketball?! That same crazy fan in me came out last year when Jeffrey started his first season of soccer. I did refrain from making any derogatory comments about the other team, (they were only 5 years old) but I was definitely the loudest parent on the sidelines. I mellowed out over the course of the season and by early October I had forced myself to talk to the other soccer moms during the game and limit my yelling... I mean cheering, to only the most crucial plays. At least Jeffrey knew I was paying attention, right?
So, fast forward to this soccer season. We put a team together of the kids in our neighborhood and I volunteered myself as the soccer coach. I knew a thing or two about the game, I knew all the kids, I thought it would be fun to spend time with Jeffrey. And it turns out that I get a free pass when it comes to yelling from the sidelines. Had I thought of this perk earlier in life, I would have been coaching long ago. Suffice it to say, I have matured since my years at BYU and the crazed rantings of my younger years have been replaced by the more mature, albeit loud, cheering of a soccer mom. And to make it even sweeter, Jeffrey has transformed from the whiny, flower picking soccer player of yesteryear (aka, last year) to the aggressive, untiring soccer player of today. Seriously, HE WAS AWESOME! He ran up and down the field, he stole the ball, he dribbled... and then he played goalie. And in Jeffrey's own words he was "the BEST goalie EVER!!!!" And I would have to agree. He totally had it figured out, the other team was even afraid of him as they tried to score on our goal. Jeffrey, on the other hand, was not afraid. He ran out and got every ball, he dove on the ground, he got down and dirty. And he loved it. He was completely in his element, he knew that he was good and he was working it. And I have never been more proud. Not just because he was good, (although I did love that part) but because he was really trying, he was doing his very best and he felt proud of himself. And I got to stand there and watch it all and cheer him on as loud as could. It was a great moment! And yes, my vocal chords are still intact...barely.

There is one drawback to being the coach...all the pictures took place AFTER the game. Oh, well!