It’s hard to believe we’ve been avid participants in the youth sports world for at least a decade. I started Jake at Off the Wall soccer when he was only about a year and a half old. He just ran around where the coach pointed. I was like, “Yeah, he doesn’t know colors. Or numbers. Or English.”
When he was probably about four he “played” on his first soccer team with the Jaguars. Yes played is in quotes because I mostly remember him resisting the idea of playing or going on the field or kicking the ball. It’s been nothing but up since the Jaguars and we’ve been proud fans across so many sports and teams that I’ve certainly lost count.
We’ve played baseball with the Riverdogs, the Scrappers, the Yankees, the Hooks, Cal Poly Red, and the Tigers. We’ve played basketball for the LA Lakers and the Utah Jazz. And of course flag football for the Georgia Bulldogs and the Kansas City Chiefs. Nate’s played soccer for both Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, just this year. Leading up to such esteemed teams the boys have played for the Awesome Panthers, the Gray Ghosts, the Stars, the Raptors, the Legends, the Mustangs, and the Lancers.
Last year, Jacob’s soccer team was called Diablo Sauce. It was quite a mouthful. I found “Go Sauce!” to be the most effective cheer. Jacob’s coach was also the coach for one of the Raptors arch rivals– a team called the Unripe Tomah-toes (said with an Australian accent). Their jerseys were green… with envy when we beat them. HA. I think this particular coach prides himself in having teams with memorable names.
I came back from this year’s BOLD conference to find Nate’s team had chosen “FBI” as our name. Which was a bit unusual until I asked what Jake’s team was called and they told me… wait for it…
Inflation.
“What?”
And Coach tells me, “I told them to pick a name that strikes fear into the hearts of their opponents.”