Soccer Camp - Week 1!

Two days back from Cincinnati and it was time for soccer camp!!! These two weeks of soccer are some of the best weeks of the year. Despite the hot, HOT temperatures we experienced all week, the kids had a blast! They definitely know how to cool off!  We start off with water balloons to practice our "trapping" technique and then that escalates into a full blown water balloon war.  The water bottles also come in handy...  

This year, due to the 4 day work week for the schools during the summer, our camp dropped Fridays; our camp is located at an elementary school so it was a necessity. With a shorter camp week I felt that Noah could attend Tuesday through Thursday and stay home Mondays with David. Technically he's a year too young to attend camp but the camp director, Bill, has always given me a little leeway with my kids. As we headed to camp Tuesday morning I was a little nervous as to how he would do, spending 8:30 to 3:30 out in the hot sun, playing soccer, and hanging out with kids older than him. I needn't have worried; that kid finds friends wherever he goes!
Hanging out with Alex and Jan, his two best buddies on Tuesday.

I got to spend a lot of time with the older groups which I love. The little kids are cute but they start to drive me batty after awhile. With the older kids I can play soccer, joke around, and have fun. As I mentioned earlier, it was HOT, pushing high 90's every day and we were really concerned about getting the kids plenty of time to sit in the shade, cool off, and drink lots and lots of water. At one point in the afternoon the teenage boys were singing Whitney Houston during a rest time; I think the heat had gone to their heads and they were semi-delirious. I wish I knew how to put video on here because it was hilarious!

Our ride home on Tuesday...Noah was tuckered out from his first day!

Noah and one of his best buds, Ben! Matching mohawks!

The kids got to do indoor games as well, a nice way to keep 'em cool.

Whenever Savannah's team scores a goal, they get in a circle and fall. It's become tradition.

We kept them all inside from about 11:00 on on Thursday due to the high temperature. What to do with over 40 kids all inside at the same time? A juggling contest, of course. Bill and Jan were the winners, juggling for over 15 minutes, at least. Then they had a contest to see who could score a basket off of juggling. Jan scored 3 times! Pretty amazing!

Noah attempted some juggling but it didn't go so well. Look out, Mom!

Savannah with one of her favorite coaches, Coach Potter.

Let's see how many times Coach Potter can juggle the soccer ball in flip flops with Savannah on his back?

Noah made a new friend, Jesse (in the red).  He really, really wanted me to take a picture of him sitting next to his best buddy on Thursday.

The jersey contest is something Xander looks forward to every year. He won his Ireland jersey a few years back and wears it every year in the hopes that this year he will win. Unfortunately for the poor guy it was another loss. Noah, on the other hand, had great success in the contest.  Jesse had brought in this great Men's USA jersey for Noah to wear and he looked mighty cute in it!

Trying to get some support from the crowds, with a little help from Jan.

Working the jersey, with a lot of help from Coach Potter.

It came down to Noah and Jesse...Jesse graciously conceded the win to Noah after the cheering crowd made the winner known! Noah was thrilled and Jesse let Noah keep the jersey as a prize.  Poor, poor Xander, I had to console him on the side.

On the last day of camp of the first week, the school bought all the campers a snowball. Boy, was it a treat on this 100 degree day! 

Helping us all feel a little cooler.

Yummy!

Three of my absolute favorite campers. I've known them for 4 summers now and for two of them this is their last year of camp. So, so sad!!!

Me and my good friend Sheri, Bill's wife. She is there every day to run errands, take care of any sick kids or boo boos, get the coaches lunch, and any other little thing that might pop up. I love having another female around.