The Final Soccer Games of the Fall 2006 Season

(A delayed Post from the weekend of October 28th)

Even though I couldn't be there for all the games, the boys both played wonderfully in the final games of the Fall soccer season. Here in Sandpoint, the season ends with a bang with the kids playing a multi-game tournament to wrap things up. Landin's team had 3 games in the tournament, and Ryder's team had 2. The age division champions for the season were decided based on a tournament point system. (3-points for a win, 1-point for each goal up to three, and 1 point for a shut out).

I stayed home and rested, missing the kids morning games, but made it to the field to sit and watch Ryder's last game (where he almost scored a goal on the right side of the field this time).

The highlight of the whole day for Ryder was receiving his trophy for participation in the season. When they called his name, and handed him his trophy, he couldn't have been more proud. I missed Landin's first game (where I was told he pulled off the "Italian" move - a soccer move he's been practicing all season, and beat 4 kids to the goal with it, and scored). I did see his second and third games, which were incredible - the Hemlocks (Landin's team) played so well together, and nearly every member of the team scored a goal.

During the season the Hemlocks had racked-up quite an impressive number of goals, and about mid-season we started talking about "what if they could score 100 goals in the season?"... so going into the tournament, they needed 22 goals to hit 100 and they had 3-games to do it. The first game they won 9-0. Thirteen more to go. The second game they won 7-1. Six more to go. They scored the first goal of the game and the kids were pumped reminding each other they only needed 5 more goals to hit 100. They scored 3 more and were practically jumping out of their skin. They scored one more and we could feel from the sidelines their intensity on the field. Then Landin booted in the 100th goal, and the kids went crazy! They were falling all over one another, hugging and high-fiving, while the other team had no idea what was going-on (this was an internal goal the kids had that they hadn't shared with anyone else). They were so proud though, to have set that lofty goal and then achieved it as a team - with every single member contributing. It was a sight to see.

The Hemlocks won the tournament, and even got their picture in the paper for the achievement.

In celebration of reaching their goal of 100-goals in a single season, the parents pitched-in and got the kids and coaches T-shirts that say "2006 Hemlocks - 100 Goal Season" with a line of Hemlock trees with a players name beneath each one.

It was really neat to see the kids progress as a team and as individual players this year, and I know Landin and Ryder already can't wait for the Spring season to put back on their cleats and hit the field. Game On!!