Go ahead... Ask...

Ask me who will be playing in Titan Stadium this Winter.
Ask me who will be playing in Titan Stadium on Titan Field this Winter.
Ask me who will be playing in Titan Stadium, on Titan Field, as a Frontier High School soccer player this Winter.


And now, for the biggest question of all...  Ask me who will be playing in Titan Stadium, on Titan Field, as a VARSITY SOCCER PLAYER this Winter!!  


Yep, go ahead and ask. 
It's my biggest girl!!

96 girls showed up for the first day of conditioning.  22 made varsity.  Only 3 are freshman!
Believe me, I know this is not the end all, be all, and I fully realize it's just a sport, and I totally get that there are thousands and thousands of much bigger things happening in the world...  But, just for today, it's pretty huge in my girl's world :)  
I absolutely know that this success will eventually be put into perspective in the light of all the other important things in life, but I'm ecstatic for her for so many reasons, and I'm going to let her enjoy every minute of it for quite some time 'cause I know how much work she put into making this day happen.

You see, I watched her those times when she headed out back on hot summer nights, when she absolutely did not want to, to practice kicking against the tack room with her dad for hours.
I watched the nights when she went out all on her own also.
I watched as she missed out on AYSO play-offs because she shattered her little foot and she sulked on the sidelines begging her dad to please let her play anyway. (Don't call CPS, but I believe he actually did put her in for just a few plays...)
I watched as her dad brought home her very first AYSO uniform when she was 5 years old - bright pink and purple striped - and her smile could not have been any bigger.
I watched her dad throw his hands up in frustration and walk away when she, in all her stubborn glory,  said, "I can't!" after he asked her to dribble just a little more quickly around those orange cones.  And then I watched him start all over again the next night.
I watched her cry when she had to make the choice to forego a highly anticipated Hume Lake camp with all of her classmates due to the last-minute re-scheduling of a soccer tournament.  
I watched thousands (it seemed like) soccer games during the sweltering Bakersfield summer and saw this girl find something she loved.
I watched her little brother be the pretend defender and get mowed down in our backyard - only to get back up so she could practice again.
I watched when she was moved from forward to defender and she questioned her abilities.
I watched as she lugged a soccer ball through the airport to South Carolina and back so she could practice her juggling during a family vacation.  And then I watched as her dad made her dribble and run backwards on the sand each night.
And I watched her, over the course of that summer, go from 5 juggles to over 100.
I watched as she missed a game-winning penalty kick. 
And I watched again as she fired a goal from 30 yards out to tie the game in a huge tournament.
I watched as she developed insanely wonderful friendships through this game.
I watched as she stumbled to the car at 5 or 6 am so she and her dad could head to who-knows-where on Saturday mornings for a 1 hour game.
I watched as she weighed the positives of both BCHS and Frontier and then chose to attend Frontier, mostly so she would have the opportunity to play soccer at a large school.
I watched her save goals and allow goals, lose a lot of games and win a lot of games, and I watched how each one affected her.
I watched as she huffed and puffed and pushed herself, beyond what I thought she could, to keep up with her teammates, running the hills of Bass Lake during pre-season after she had just recovered from sinus surgery.  
I watched as she sacrificed many Saturday and Sunday get-togethers with friends for club soccer games.
I watched her shatter both of our tack room windows trying to "get the ball between the boards!" as she practiced free kick after free kick.
And then I watched her get the ball between those boards!


And so I watched my phone all morning waiting for the text...
And you know what, fittingly, she texted her dad first.  I expected that.  He deserved to be the first to know.
And I watched her dad walk in this evening with his varsity soccer player, with the most contented smile on his face.  I think he pictured way back when that he would push and cajole and support and coach and teach and encourage and give up hundreds of hours for her, because someday she would want this day to happen.  And I have a good hunch he'll do the same for my other two babies :)


And now she can't wait for her uniform, warm-ups , and cool sports bag, because you know that's all that really matters!