Soar-in' Soccer Superstar

We've had hit and miss luck with soccer, but this season we really hit the jackpot. We've been on teams that won, teams that lost, teams that were kind, teams with coaches that yelled. We've been the star and we've ridden the bench. We've been all over the place. This season, Baylie played with a team that was so sweet. They only won one game, but they got better each week and they had a fantastic time. It was wonderful.

Baylie started o ut pretty much just playing defense.

In the middle of the season, we went to the USC fan appreciation clinic. It's an awesome free clinic that they offer for girls. Plus, they give free food and have a great raffle. It's a wonderful community event.

Baylie and her classmates are big fans because their principal's daughter is a professional player that also plays for the U.S. women's national team. She was an all-star player at USC and is always good to these girls.

Baylie ended up becoming the goalie for her team and she developed into a pretty good one.

The team's sponsor was the grandma of one of Baylie's sweetest friends, Alexa. (And the mom of one of my best friends.)

These four girls are all in the same grade at school. They are all such sweet girls.

McClaine, Savannah, Alexa, Baylie

The coach presented each girl with a certificate.

The Soar League (which is run by a church) had a separate medal ceremony and they also presented one player on each team with a "Soarsmanship" award. We were so surprised and proud when Baylie was given the award for her team. She is such an amazing girl.

Here is what her coach said in an e-mail about her.
As I read through the suggestions of what to consider the characteristics that stuck out to me were servant-heartedness and sacrifice. I had a wonderful group of girls this season and it was a blessing to coach them all. They were all very respectful and sweet. But as I read through all the considerations Baylie kept coming to mind. First off, she came in with less experience than a bunch of the other girls but she never let that discourage her. She would politely ask questions and just had an eagerness to learn. She NEVER complained. She always came to practice with a smile on her face and no matter what we did for drills, whether it was something she liked or not, she joyfully worked hard at it. Like it says in Colossians 3:23 - "Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people." She just has a servant heart. When no one else on the team wanted to play goalie because they were nervous or afraid she stepped up and took on the challenge. And she ended up being really good at it! She continued to willingly brave the position week after week and sacrifice playing on the field to serve her team in the way they needed her most without any question at all. And I love her for it. To me that isn't something to be taken lightly. It's something to be celebrated. That's the attitude and behavior of a true team-player. That's exactly what Baylie was. She was encouraging to her teammates and she was always respectful to me. Just an all around good kid. This award wasn't intended for the "best" player on the team or the one that scored the most goals. It was an award of the heart and Baylie has a special one for sure. Her true shock when he said her name just reiterated that I made the right decision. She wasn't expecting any special recognition for her efforts. She just worked hard and stayed positive because that's who she is. Be proud Momma! You're raising a beautiful girl... inside and out.

 She definitely earned her icee!

Ava (Alexa's sister) and Jalen were great fans this year.

Sometimes they were more involved than others.

It was a great season.