It's a tough soccer season

If you were with me last year during soccer season ~ we had a great year. We only lost one game all year and I got some great action shots. This year, not so much. Nate is on a new team that is about half girls and half boys. Half of them are pretty decent but the other half, again, no so much. We have more than a few kids that I guess would rather not be there. They spend the entire game trying to stay away from the ball so they don't have to run. Then there is the kicking issue. They haven't gotten the idea that you are supposed to kick the ball to a team mate ~ not just kick it to get it away from you (usually right to an opposing team member). The only thing that saves us from that is the fact that 70% of the time these kids go to kick the ball, they miss! We call it the air kick...
We have played 5 games as of yesterday and have yet to score a goal. We did seem to do better yesterday. We only lost 3 to 0 and we actually made some decent plays. Nate almost scored 3 times but their goalie was pretty good. Our goalie sucks. Actually he wouldn't be half bad if he'd actually stay in or at least near the goal. We are looking into a shock collar that buzzes when he moves outside of his range. Nuff said.
I have to hand it to my son. He takes it all much better than me. No, I'm not one of those screaming sideline parents but man, sometimes I wanna be. I do yell encouragement but underneath I am muttering stuff that would make a sailor blush. He hangs in their with it all and doesn't seem to get very discouraged although I think it has more to do with the amount of cute girls on his team than the actual playing of the sport ~ but whatever works!
The upside is, we get to play at some very pretty parks We especially like going somewhere we've not been before.

We play through November and hopefully things will pick up. Hope you enjoy the few pics I've been able to snap.