california update

Well, summer is nearing an end, and that means the start of soccer season again! But... before we say goodbye to summer, I'd like to record a milestone for Grace and a summer poem by Daniel.

 

Grace and I went to the local pool last week and she declared that she wanted to do a flip off the board, having seen her brother do one a week earlier. So she went up to the board, walked to the end, bounced ever so slightly, jumped and did a 3/4 flip: ended up flat on her back and you could hear the smack from a good distance. She tried again... about 3 or 4 times with similar but not quite as painful results. Eventually, she had enough and we went into the 5' deep section of the pool. There, I launched her from my hands a few times until she got the hang of flipping off of my hands. Each time she did a flip off of my hands, she would break the surface and immediately sing out "Ding Ding!" Of course, I gave her a bit of upward and "flipping" momentum, but she got the sense of how fast she needed to go to be able to land on her feet. Then, we moved on to other games until Melanie and Daniel showed up from one of his soccer games. She immediately got out of the pool and declared she wanted to do a flip off the diving board. "This I gotta see" said Daniel.

 

So Grace walks slowly up to the end of the board and a small audience paused to see her try again (Her flips off of my hands got quite a few parents trying to do the same with their similar-aged kids). She walks to the end, bounces ever so slightly and flips: sticking it perfectly; landed right on her feet! It was pretty cool! Even Daniel was impressed - and supportive. She broke the surface and sang out "Ding Ding!"

 

SO... she's got that goin' for her, too... which is nice.

 

Other news: her soccer team, after today's battle against a team that had three of her classmates, is still undefeated. Grace scored a goal: kicked it through the goalie's legs at point blank range. In fact, 7 of the 11 girls have now scored goals in just two games. Looks to be a good season. This is my 10th season coaching (if you count Winter, Spring and Fall as 3 seasons, which i do because they're always different kids), but the first with Grace. So... I gave my 3-P's speech, as usual, at the beginning of the season: "There are three things you need to focus on: Passing, Positions, and Passion..." Now, the boys at this age would look at you kind of funny, and ask you what "Passion" means. After you tell them that it basically means you gotta want to win if you're gonna win, they nod their heads and say... yeah ok; obvious. The girls... also ask what passion means (I guess they don't teach that word in 1st grade). After you tell them, they look at you and say (I swear, 3 or 4 of them did say it) "Why do you want to win?" Well, as their record shows, we got past that, and they're havin' a blast.

 

Daniel's in a competitive traveling league, and his team is not faring as well. They tied today; so far they are 1-2-1 for the season. Could have won today, but had a goal called back for a dubious pushing call against the guy who scored during a breakaway. Daniel, playing halfback, almost cost his team the game as he dragged down an opponent who was on a breakaway with minutes to go. Even though it was clearly out of the 18 (it was in the semi-circle), they gave the other team a PK, which fortunately the good guys stopped. So, at the end of the day, maybe he saved his team from losing. (As Mick wrote in a recent post, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!)

 

Finally, our boy has had one of his poems he wrote last spring published in Anthology of Poetry by Young Americans, 2006 Ed, Vol XCVIII, p 167. He submitted it following a suggestion by his 5th grade teacher . Reminding me of a long-ago summer evening in Chicago, here it is:

                       

                                       FIREFLIES

 

While I walk through tree and flush

I see a field while passing by

And then they rise with light of such

Like air it fills the entire sky.

And while I watch I'm struck by awe

By all the golden lights I saw.

 

And as sky is filled with light

They dance like stars with sudden vigor

As moon is down this summer night

I must watch and linger.

As fifty leagues are filled with them

Infinite specks rise rise from their den.

 

And as I lie back and and watch them all

From which all good things must be wrought

To think if all of them would fall

I pause and wonder in pensive thought.

And here our sure friend lies

In this giant world of fireflies.

 

Daniel J. Zdeblick Age: 11