Concussions, Hoops and More Heartbreak

It's been a busy last few weeks in our household. Hailey finished up her softball season with a third place finish and we think ended her soccer career too as she gave up travel soccer (her teammates chose to go to other clubs and she just didn't love it enough to try out someplace else too). She did learn some great ball handling skills at her twice weekly basketball camp she was attending including how to post up for a pass and perfect her steals. I signed her up to try out for the travel basketball team too since she is a beast on defense and clearly wants to work harder here than in soccer. Of course she was mad at me for signing her up but then proceeded to ask me every day since the tryout if she made the team. So seems like she wants to do it but we don't find out until mid to the end of July if she made the team. Next up for her is sleep away camp followed by volleyball camp and travel tryouts. We're keeping her busy and off her iPad! She does do a lot of reading too and asks me weekly to go to the library - which I love too. The two of us walk through those doors and we just exhale. We're home and could spend hours in there immersed in books. 

Our basketball player

Peyton has been extremely busy with high school cheer practice over the last month (and finishing up her swim season) but last week was especially brutal with four days of cheer camp coupled with team bonding which would have the girls gone from 6:45am-8pm most days. She was having a lot of fun and learning new cheers, dances and stunts. However, on the last day of camp, as they were practicing for their performance at cheer camp later that afternoon, one of the flyers fell and ended up landing on Peyton's head. Concussion protocols were immediately enacted and so Peyton was unable to compete in the performance that afternoon and had to take some time off this week from swim (luckily cheer was over until mid-August). We've had to meet with the trainer at the high school and implement a schedule to reintroduce her to activities so the last day or so she's been back swimming - just not diving in or doing flip turns. She's going to get a few more practices in before she competes in our Country Club swim meet on July 13. Then she'll have a month off until high school cheer and school starting. 

Our cheerleader before concussion

Austen escaped his Regional playoffs in Kansas City without a concussion despite a kid hitting him in the back of his head with his head. I could see it hurt him as he struggled to get to his feet and rubbed the back of his head but within a minute he was back up and running. If they check you for a concussion during a game, they'll need to take you out to employ a more serious concussion protocol and so I've seen most of these athletes play on and wave off any assistance. 

What can I say about Kansas City. First, it was really, really hot. Hotter than St. Louis last year as our country experienced a heatwave last week/this week with temps hovering around 95 degrees for a noon and 2pm game time on days 2 and 3.  I thought the boys were well hydrated and rested to compete but I wasn't confident we could pull off getting out of our group stage this year. Last year, we only needed to get out of the group stage to advance to Nationals in July. But two ties and a win did not bode well for us. This year, we had other problems. Our coach had once again changed midyear (early April) and he was still getting to know the boys and trying out formations and combinations. We did not have these down all through State Cup (which cost us in the final game) and because we did not win State Cup this year, we were thrown into the hardest group for Regionals (we qualified for Regionals with first place finishes in the Midwest Conference Premier 1 and Elite 64 Leagues). So I wasn't too confident that we'd make it out of Group but still I packed for a trip that would last Thursday - Wednesday. First game was telling. It was a must win. I thought everyone knew it was a must win but apparently our coach did not. We go down 0-1 in the first half on an error from one of our forwards. It starts there. Then our coach subs when we have critical minutes to try to get a goal. And he doesn't sub one or two players. He subs at least 7 of them. Our subs are good but when you sub an entire line up, it changes things. And it did. We lost precious minutes. He makes some other crazy changes at the end of the game that we've never seen in desperation which were crazy and then the game is done and we lose. Rumors abound that coach was trying to conserve players for day 2 but what's the point now. Our chances are slim to none that we make it out of Group. Day 2 is another disaster. We score pretty early but huge errors in the defense cost us. We make an errant pass back/shoot on our own goal and our goalie has to sprint back and make a diving save so it doesn't go in the goal. They get a corner kick (should have been an indirect kick on the goal line) and one of our players gets called for a hand ball in the box. They get a PK and convert. Tie 1-1. Next game, coach says he's playing the subs because it doesn't matter. We tie again 1-1. I think we place third out of four in group stage and don't advance to Nationals in July. Heartbreak all over again. 

Austen - first row, third from left

I don't know what to say. Really. Frustration at having three different coaches over the last two years has definitely impacted these boys. We haven't found that coach yet that can get the best out of this talented group of boys. They have the ingredients but I also think this year that some of these coaching decisions (specifically when to play subs) have cost us in big games. Yes, we have opportunity to put it in the back of the net and not make terrible errors on defense (which during Regional play was really shocking) but to play to get everyone in the game at some point is a place that we are beyond at this age. Cost us in Orlando in January in the last 10 minutes when were up 2-1 and would have been a direct line to Nationals; cost us in the State Cup Final when were up 2-1; and cost us in at least that first Regional game when we were down 0-1. Pivotal games. You don't use everyone. I don't care if their parents are calling you and complaining about playing time (true story). For the record, as much as I'd love to call the coach and ask him what the hell he was thinking, I won't because that's Austen's battle. And, one that he should use as fuel to kick some ass next year and learn that sometimes you just shouldn't listen to your coach. Now onto a great Senior High School Soccer Season! 

The soccer parents - a really great group of kids and parents