Stand in Coach

We arrived at the field in good time. Since H's lady coach wasn't there, hubby asked the assistant coach if he could join him on the coach side of the field. They had changed this from last year, where the coaches would be on the same side as the parents.

S, N, Baby Z and I strolled on over to the parents' side of the field. The girls spread out our pink picnic blanket and took out their books.

"I hate soccer games, they're boring," N complained.

They didn't actually want to tag along, but we couldn't very well leave them home alone, since I want to watch H's soccer game.

While N lay on her tummy, and began to write her story (she has composed so many stories, fit for publication, and yes, I am her mother, but I really think she is talented in that area), I scanned the the coach's side for hubby. He was sitting with H's team.

The game started, and as I watched, I saw hubby doing his thing at each and everyone of H's soccer games ; shouting as loud as he could to 'coach' H's moves. I whispered to S,

"S, did you know Abi's on that side?"

"Yes, good. At least he's not shouting," she replied, not even looking up from her book.

I chuckled. Yeah right. He was still shouting, just not right behind us as usual.

I could still hear him shouting,

"H, go! No whistle!"

"H, stay!"

"H, look up, look up!"

"Ok H, line! line!"

It tickled me to see him so animated. I guess it's not easy being a soccer player himself, and seeing his own son play on the field. He just had to do his thing, I suppose.

H played in the first quarter, and sat out in the second quarter. Even when H was not playing, hubby would still shout out to some of H's team members.

Just before the third quarter began, I saw hubby asking the assistant coach the name of a boy that was in H's team. The boy was one of the defenders. Then, to my utmost horror, I saw the coach gesturing for hubby to go in the field. I could barely believe my eyes! For all the shouting he has done, he's finally being rewarded ?

He went in, and mashaallah, he did his thing, only this time, with more animation, since he was able to move around and direct the team to make their moves. Even to an unseasoned soccer spectator like me, I could see that his being in there was good for the team. The defense moved forward each time the offense fell back (which seldom happened before), and after watching some of hubby's games, I think this is how he plays it. And befittingly also, his position is the defense, so it's not surprising that he's well versed in the tricks of the defense.

I watched with a wide grin on my face. After a while I whispered to S again, (the girls were unperturbed by the fact that their father was acting as coach, for they continued to do their thing; reading and writing)

"S, do you know that Abi is in the field?"

"Yeah, I think the kids are confused. Because one time Abi said, 'Get the gray and the girl just stood there,'" she replied.

I laughed. I did wonder if the kids understood hubby's jargon, but I think they did. H's team was really flourishing too. Their really good and did really great as a team. H, compared to last year, has improved a LOT. Even hubby was surprised (and even though he's H's father, he's pretty hard on H when it comes to soccer, and Quran for that matter).

Hubby reminded me of H's first ever soccer game; he had stood like a statue in the middle of the field, wringing his hands. You'd never know this was the same kid moving about so skillfully on the field!

Well, the score was 4-0, H's team being the 4. By the way, the assistant coach graciously offered hubby to coach for the final quarter too. On the way home, I remarked,

"I think Abi's happy today because he didn't have to shout so much from the sidelines."

To him, I said,

"Maybe the coach let you in because he figured, 'better let him do all that shouting in the field!'"

I wonder if hubby's going to be in the field again for the next two games. We'll see.