Grad You Ate, Son

 

First UP:   anticipation. 

 

 The videographer attempted to cheer and to record video simultaneously.  It didn't work out too well, but captured the moment nevertheless.   

 

 

Toss and Go

 

Throwing and running, back to the basics.

 

Running Man

 

 

 First track meet.  

Cuz In

A rare and wonderful occasion.  All of Liam's cousins on his paternal side.  On that day, he magically gained another one!  

Parroting

 

 

Things went much better this time.  Last time was nearly a disaster!

 

Sculptor

 

Putting on the finishing touches -- removing the "fire ladder" underneath our enormous Ponderosa.   If we do not build-up our snowpack, we are in for a dangerous fire season.

Selfish

 

He makes it look so easy to play "keep away" with the ball.   

Milestone

 

Liam gets the first yellow card in his 12-year football career.   He's the yellow alpaca haircut #34 in blue who collides with the Red #3 player on the right.  The green-shirt referee jumps-in right away, but naturally Liam believes it to be a legal tackle as indicated by his body language.  Note that Liam has perfect form, exactly like a Premier League player -- arms outstretched, palms up, wrinkled brow, quizzical eyes fixed on the referee.  Now THAT's real football.

Game, Set, Match, Tournament, Season

 

They played hard and well in the sleet and drizzle of the State semifinal, but weren't able to get past the wealthy private school.  The school with the well-paid coach and the hand-picked players from all over the State (and beyond).  No shame today; we'll get 'em next year.

 

Playoff Bound

 

In a small town, the High School is a BIG deal.  Today a special escort from LA's finest.  What a great bunch of guys we have -- both in the bus and within the cop cruisers.

 

Thread the Needle

 

 

This season finds our hero playing defense, so a ball in the net is a special thing now.

Park in a Driveway

 

Sure, the automobiles benefit from a decent shoveling, but we can't let them have all the fun.

Just Ain't Fair

 

The goalie guessed correctly this time, although our hero drilled it in anyway.  This just seems like a poor implementation of a tie-breaker, but the whole world does it and it may never change.

How to Rank

 

Here is a sample of how the highest ranking team likes to play.  Number 12 in white gets posterized with a nutmeg.  So in an attempt to save face, first trip #22 in Green who embarrassed him.  Second, as Green is going down, how about a good karate chop to the face.

(Rank[2]:  adjective, having a foul or offensive smell)

Same Thing Next Year

 They STILL don't make it easy to roll that thing into the net.

Oh wait, on second thought, maybe they do.

Net Roll

They sure don't make it easy to slip that little sphere into the frame!

 

 

 

Ice Cream Man

 

I'm your ice cream man,
stop me when I'm passin' by.
I'm your ice cream man,
stop me when I'm passin' by.
You see, all my flavors are guaranteed to satisfy. 

(Lyrics by John Brim)

Four Fouls and a Champion

 

So in today's game, we see Liam (#16 day-glow yellow) striving to get the ball into the net.  The ball arrives, but the defender (#21 maroon) first tags it with his arm and never attains possession.  Then the defender gives Liam a kick in the knee, turns around, and takes Liam out without ever touching the ball.  In the process, the defender pulls a thigh muscle, is in a lot of pain, and is unable to walk.  Later in this sequence we see maroon #8 throw another yellow player to the ground.  Finally the ref stops play, we get an extended time-out, and #21 gets carried off behind the net by two teammates.  I fail to understand how none of these infractions earned a whistle, but that's a different issue. 

Shortly, the game ends, and all the players on the field walk back to their respective benches.  

Except one.  

Liam takes a sharp left turn and jogs over to the opponents empty goal.  He picks #21 off the ground where his team left him, and gingerly helps him back to his own bench while the next game is getting ready.  Doesn't even know the kid's name.  Everyone else on the field -- players from both teams, coaches, officials, parents -- they all forgot about the discarded #21. 

 

Words cannot describe how my heart swells today. 

Coast to Coast

 

Enough with the assists already.

Nettermind

 

Enough of this dribbling around in a tie game.  Time to change it up some.