Soccer Season Comes to an End :-(

So... I would say the first season of soccer went really well! In fact, I think I'll do it again next year. Ryan loved having her Mommy be her coach and it really helped her come out of her shell. Pink and Black Attack had a successful season. We don't keep score but once a soccer player, always a soccer player... we were 9-1-2... win/loss/tie. Not bad for 5 year old girls if I do say so myself. Apparently in GU6 (Girls Under Six), they are supposed to learn to dribble, kick, and throw the ball in. My little stars also learned how to play defense, take a decent goal kick, and shoot!
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Well, the last game means preparations for the end-of-the-year party too! I had a lot of planning to do to make this a memorable year for my super stars!
The theme is easy... pink & black all the way!

Before partying though... we gotta kick a little "tail!"
It's game time!

Little Miss Ryan had 3 goals this season. She said at the beginning of the year that she was "no good at soccer." We proved her wrong! She did great. She really did have the biggest kick on the team!

Charlie met her new bestie... Sarah! These two were so cute together at every game. We deemed them our cheerleaders and they had pom-poms at every game to cheer us on. Too bad they got bored with those pom-poms and easily traded them in for dollies and dress-up jewelry.

Half time was an important time in the game... Coach Mommy would try to energize the team and prep them for the next half while the girls only cared about their snack and hanging out. Ahhh, 5 year olds!

This picture shows my girls preparing for a goal kick in the second half. In the beginning of the season, the coach was allowed to be on the field. Second half of the season I had to stay on the sidelines... that was torture!

Team Mom Kristine had a brilliant idea to have the team party at the park after the last game. It could not have been more perfect... potluck, park equipment, party favors = perfection!
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I learned how to handle the end of the year event by watching my dad all my years... he's a pro. When he coached me growing up, I remember that he would give a little speech about each girl as they got their trophy.

I wrote a poem for each girl that highlighted their strengths so that they could remember their first soccer season. I attached a pink "diamond" to the poem because of our favorite dribbling game... the diamond game. I would hide a large "diamond" under a cone in a sea of cones. The girls had to dribble around without me taking the ball away from them until I said, "FREEZE!" Then they had to make their way to a cone and see if the hidden diamond was underneath. Silly, I know... but kind of our signature game of the season!
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Here is Ryan receiving her poem, diamond, and trophy! What a happy, happy girl!

Even my cheerleaders got special heart shaped pink diamonds!

and the party begins...

The cake had a picture of our banner on it! So cute...

Our team!
I had the best assistant coach, John! He was great. And so were all of my little soccer angels!

My soccer star and me!

Can't wait to do it again next year Ry-Ry!