Toddler soccer is so hard. There is a local soccer academy called My Soccer Academy, or MSA, that has toddler soccer starting at the age of 2. It is the closest toddler anything to our house. Anything else is at least an hour drive from where we live, which is just too far. I think my daughters are too young for soccer. I really miss when they were going to The Little Gym. They were learning so many skills and having so much fun there. But it’s just too far now.

We went to a test class first. Keilani simply was not interested in listening or following anything the coach said, but Isabella tried and she enjoyed it, so we decided to sign her up. As we continued to go each week, Keilani whined that she wanted to play. We put up with that every week, but she only means that she wants to kick the ball and play HER way, not actually listen to anyone, so it’s a constant battle to keep her on the bleachers, watching a phone or keeping her otherwise occupied while Isabella is actually attempting to listen.

At first it was really good. There were just a couple of other toddlers, but she was getting some socialization and some listening skills from someone other than me and her dad and grandmother. But all the other toddlers slowly quit. It’s summer in Florida and like 90 degrees at 10am. One day we showed up and Isabella was the only one there. So we asked the coach if it was possible if she could try coming to the class one age up at 9am, filled not with toddlers, but kids around 5 and 6. A bit too old for her 3 years of age, but at least she wouldn’t be all alone.

She’s too little for this class. She doesn’t understand soccer. She has no idea what she is doing and is not really listening to what she is supposed to be doing. But the coach understands, and while she pushes her to listen, she understands that she is only 3 and isn’t at the same level as the other kids in this group.

Again, it’s summer. Everyone is going on vacations. Today there were only 2 other kids in the class, both still more advanced than Isabella. It is hard to watch her just not on the same level. I’m so torn because I really want her to socialize with other kids and have an activity outside of this house. I asked her her opinion as well and she always says she loves it and wants to keep going. But I also wonder if she is really actually getting anything out of it. Because at the end of the hour, she is hot and sweaty and tired and she just wants to go home.

Today there was a new toddler and coach asked if she wanted to stay another 45 minutes with the new toddler. Isabella just couldn’t do it. She was just too tired and hot. She wanted to go home. The sun is just too brutal. And Keilani and I were suffering because there was no shade for us either, sitting and watching.

But she listens better and she no longer cries when someone else scores a goal and she talks about it all day and she still says she loves it. Maybe when school starts again in a couple of months there will be more kids, maybe even more toddlers, and it will get better. I am thinking of sticking it out until September and seeing what happens before we quit.

I just wish there were more options out here. I feel almost stuck.

Also, America is the only place it is called soccer. Thanks to Dora the Explorer and Steve and Maggie, Isabella calls it football, or fútball, depending on how you want to look at it. So if in future blogs I ever slip, know I’m talking about soccer, because we never call it soccer in this house. This blog was forced. My brain kept saying football.