Second Grade Soccer

[Baia]

At the middle school playing fields on Saturday, I watched the clash of the second grade titans from the sidelines. It was the Whites versus the Blues. Our Dylan was on the Whites and he was glad to see his best friend from pre-K, Benjamin, among the Blues on the field defending the opposite goal. For an hour as the boys ran up and down the field, kicking at the ball and often at each other by accident, I watched with the other relatives. No score was kept and calls of encouragement filled the air. At the end of the hour there were cookies and juice for both teams and Dylan went off to share his with Benjamin. I watched as the other boys met their parents to be praised and hugged. One boy, a Blue, had been notable for his athletic demeanor. I could see him, fully grown, perhaps in football gear, walking off the athletic field at some high school or college. He had "the look". His father did too. The child walked up to his dad who had been pacing the baseline in front of me during the game. They hugged and the boy puckered up to smooch his father's cheek. They walked off together to get cookies and juice. I was left on the sidelines with my warmed heart.

[Gary Freedman]

It's good to get kids involved in sports at an early age.

[Baia]

I decided to change "kiss" to "smooch". I thought it described the way it looked better.