Sideline Mom

J chose netball for her winter terms school sport. She really loves it and her position is Goal Shooter. She has a good eye for the ball and is a pretty decent shot. We decided to get her, her own ball and a practice hoop and every day she and I have been having fun "shooting hoops".

I have seen her a few times at practice days at school and noted how she fools around quiet a bit, sits down, swings around the pole and I chalked this up to the fact that being a GS, you don't get to play the game that much, unless your team is giving you the ball and thus she was a bit bored.

Yesterday she has her second netball match against another local school in the valley. Her first match was quiet funny as both teams were pretty useless and I assumed  that is how 7 yr olds are. Happily she scored and her team one.
However, yesterday was different. Her opposing team, FH's coach had this no nonsense and very serious look about her. So the game starts. FH gets the ball straight away and starts dominating the game. My little J has been taken up with the fairies and is not only in another world, but another universe as well. She starts swinging around the pole, goofing around and almost about to do a hand stand. 

My eyes widen! Never in a million years did I think I would be one of those side line mom's who become unhappy campers. I call out, J , focus, focus focus. My emotions start to rise and  I actually move to the fence to try tell her to watch the game and concentrate. By now, FH has scored 3-0 against us, and our little team looks like they have been hit by a hurricane. These FH little girls are following a strict strategy and they are sticking to it very well.  One look from their coach puts them right back on track when their eye is off the ball. I call out again to J to focus but I am having no affect whats so ever. I am getting so frustrated that I need to return to my seat and need to sit on my hands and shut up. Our little team did not fare well at all and we get whitewashed 7-0. 
The second U7 game starts and SV is looking better, but by half time its 1-0. J is called  to the team and starts the "pole dancing" thing. I think to myself , my darling, what are you up too, as I watch the ball whizzing past her. Luckily she starts to focus, gets the ball and scores and after a few minutes the game ends. Yay, its 1-1.


Today J comes home with a "player of the team" award. Well done J.
I, on the other hand have gone to the library and taken out a book called " The Netball Handbook", and will be studying it from top to toe as well as watching Netball game rules on you tube.You never know, maybe her team needs an assistant coach!