Stunning Turn Of Events: Emma [Soccer]

Last week I expressed my surprise at seeing Emma step back onto the soccer pitch. Her game this Tuesday, against University Park Elementary, was ten times more stunning.

The game started out overcast and ended with the pretty heavy rain, which is some explanation for the poor quality of the photos. Emma started the game at defender and, as she does, did little moving of the feet for the first few minutes–even when the ball and all of the other players are behind her attacking her goal. Anyway, she finally got the hang of it and cleared a few balls out.

In the second quarter, she volunteered for keeper. We have an iron clad rule at our house–never, ever volunteer to play keeper. If the coach asks you to play keeper, you do it. But never, ever volunteer. But Emma volunteered, I didn’t blow my stack, and all the other kids are up in arms about it–favorite child, etc. I hear they cries of “unfair!,” but I don’t really care.

She emerged unscathed in her keeper duties. Zero goals, zero touches, really zero action.

And then it happened. She played forward in the third quarter, where she moved around pretty good. Never quite leading the action or getting into the middle of the pack; seemingly floating just to the edge of the pack. Well, it just so happened that the pack was in front of goal, the ball squirted out to the side, just in front of Emma, she took a leftie swing at it, and GOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLL! I wouldn’t believe it if I had seen it with my own eyes (but you’ll have to trust me as I have no pictures). She jumped for joy, waived her arms in the air in triumph–she was excited.

Now I may be wrong about this, but she actually looked to get more involved thereafter. She ran harder, farther, and with more relation to the ball. In fact, in the fourth quarter, I think she was supposed to play defender, but she ran up and down the field.

And they won 1-0. She is the leading scorer. I was amazed–and so very wet. We ran to the car.