Bye Bye Monkey

On Saturday Bebe scored her first goal in a soccer game!  And I missed it!  More on that later.  She's come close before to getting a goal, but just come up a bit short.  I think the key to her success was that her Nana told her that if she was aggressive, even bopped a couple of people, she would take her out for frozen yogurt.  Now wait...before you say "What kind of Nana would say something like that?" you have to understand the context of the conversation.  Bebe has played soccer for several years.  She enjoys the game, but isn't exactly driven to be the best player on the field.  You know we've all seen the kid on the field who has some really good skills and is somewhat driven to outrun and score with each possession?  The kid who really gets into the fray.  Who's not afraid to get kicked or knocked down or elbowed a little bit.  Well, Bebe is not that kid.  She is almost too kind.  She doesn't want to hurt anyone or be hurt.  Therefore, she doesn't really get 'in there'.  She has been kicked.  She has been knocked down.  She has been elbowed.  In the past she often let others, even her own teammates, to sometimes take the ball from her.  But until one game last season she has never really played with drive or the proper amount of aggression that soccer calls for.  We're not talking about hurting other people, just getting in the mix and not being afraid of the ball or the other players.  So like I said, we saw a spark in the final game last season...then this season it's like things are clicking.  So this weekend her Nana prompted her to be aggressive...in the proper way!!  Meaning if she bumps into someone...it's okay.  I think we need Nana at every game because she finally scored!  As I said...I missed it.  Where was I?  Off having a nice coffee with girlfriends, getting my hair and nails done (ha snort), or relaxing in the quiet of the house reading?  No, I was at a twice-a-year consignment sale...where I get 90% of the kids clothes!  Fun, but not relaxing.  Oh well, I hope she gets another goal soon...she was positively glowing when she told me!  What a confidence builder...and a monkey off her back.