We’ve spent most of the pandemic playing pick-up soccer with our All Star buddies on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Since the Pacheco goals are being held hostage, we transitioned to the Cal Poly turf fields. It’s quite the workout on full-sized fields.
Every week brings a new adventure. It’s amazing what can happen to you out in the screen-free world. The great unknown.
The first week, Eli-with-the-hat got knocked down by his mom and couldn’t get up. Unfortunately, it turned out he broke his arm. Fortunately, it was his own mom. So you know– It’s taboo to take out someone else’s kid, but your own? Totally fine! Happens all the time. So Eli-with-the-hat became Eli-with-the-cast.
The next week I was told there was a squirrel head covered in yellow jackets, in the middle of the field. I did my best not to make eye contact. The student “field monitor” removed it with his long-handled dust pan while also talking on his cell phone. Impressive.
On our next visit, a mama deer came running in a panic, through the parked cars. As we approached the field, a Bambi ran through the opening in the gate onto the big expanse of basketball courts. She slammed into the fence and started circling the enclosure. Nowhere to run. As we neared, she finally started making her way back toward the opening where she’d come in. The kids come running from the field and I have to call them off as they excitedly run toward a head-on Bambi Bambino collision. The Bambi comes running directly at us, through the opening, and escapes into the parking lot. Disaster averted.
What more could possibly happen? On our next visit the kids find a giant dead tarantula behind the soccer goal. It’s in several pieces.
This Thursday we had a great game under the lights. It’s now just the kids, the dads, and me. We call it “recess” and it really is the highlight of our week. The sunsets. The coaching. The chitchatting. The competition.
I was excited to see Eli had his cast off and exclaimed in recognition, “You got your cast off!”
Why does it feel like I just jinxed him? Oh 2020.