Football Season Begins

We had heard great things about the nation-wide Sportball program, and so decided to sign our toddler up. They offered a summer session in a nearby park with an emphasis on soccer football. Class began last Thursday. We were hoping that this would be a father-daughter activity.

However, on the first day of class, father was sick, and so the plan was that I would attend the class with daughter, while my husband watched our 16-month old in the nearby playground. On the drive over to the class, our toddler fell asleep. As the entire drive was a little over five minutes, she was very cranky when we woke her up. She was not in the least impressed by her new football jersey, nor with her football. She spent the first half of the class whining...but did appear to wake up near the end of the class. The class ended with an obstacle course of sorts which included running through hoops, and bear-walking over a rope. She ran in front of the first child that had already started, and did the entire course three times while most kids finished their first lap.

We were hopeful that the second class would prove more successful. My husband was feeling 100%, and our toddler was very awake and chatty on the way to the football pitch. I walked over to the playground with my 16-month old, while our toddler warmed up with my husband. However, within a minute our toddler was running up to me in the playground, crying "I want mommy!". So it was that I attended a second class with our toddler. I wasn't sure that my big belly and I could keep up, however we did quite well. Our toddler listened to her coaches for the most part, and she even did the last activity with her father.

Perhaps third time's the charm...

Our toddler appearing to cheer, but in fact sulking!

A closeup taken a few seconds later

Our 16-month old proudly donning her sister's jersey