astra_nomer (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
astra_nomer) wrote2006-10-28 09:31 am
astra_nomer) wrote2006-10-28 09:31 am
Soccer mom, indeed
DS1 has soccer practices next to a field where there are often real games going on, usually a high school girls' game. One day, I watched a girl go down, crying out "Charley Horse! Charley Horse!!" And two other girls ran up to her, and pushed against her feet while she lay on her back, and soon enough she was fine and ready to go.
Interestingly, I found myself in the exact same position yesterday.
It was the semiannual interdepartmental soccer game at work. The weather called for a high in the mid-50's, and rain beginning to fall right about game time - cold and wet, fun. The rule is that each team needs to field at least 2 women at time, which normally has not been a problem for our team, because there are lots and lots of women postdocs -- plenty of people to sub in and out. Except the just before game time, D told me that we were the only women playing. Uh-oh. I wasn't planning to play for the whole 90 minutes. Sure, I did that triathlon back in August, and that was 2.5 hours, but I had done practically no exercise since then, except walking the kids to school -- maybe a mile total each day. So clearly, we would need to pace ourselves.
About halfway through the second half, I got tripped accidentally, and although the fall itself wasn't hard, suddenly my calf muscles were painful tennis balls and I couldn't move. "Cramp! Cramp!!" I called out, and S, who happens to coach a soccer team, had me on my back while he and another player leaned on my toes. And then I was fine. Apparently, I had several players worried: what were they going to do without one of their needed XX chromosome pairs?? I did have another tumble later with a woman player on the other team, but again, it wasn't a hard fall. Overall, no real injuries to any of the players, despite increasingly slippery field conditions as it began drizzling during the second half. I survived, though, paced myself pretty well, and pushed to the end.
And the best part was WE WON!! 2-1. At the beer hour/ceremony afterward, our team captain gave D and me a dozen roses each for being such good sports, and good players besides. So they said, anyway. I just ran around did my best to keep my team in posession of the ball.
Today, I am sore in unexpected places. My upper arms, for instance. And my abdominal sneezing muscles, too, apparently. But I've found that I really enjoy this soccer thing.
Interestingly, I found myself in the exact same position yesterday.
It was the semiannual interdepartmental soccer game at work. The weather called for a high in the mid-50's, and rain beginning to fall right about game time - cold and wet, fun. The rule is that each team needs to field at least 2 women at time, which normally has not been a problem for our team, because there are lots and lots of women postdocs -- plenty of people to sub in and out. Except the just before game time, D told me that we were the only women playing. Uh-oh. I wasn't planning to play for the whole 90 minutes. Sure, I did that triathlon back in August, and that was 2.5 hours, but I had done practically no exercise since then, except walking the kids to school -- maybe a mile total each day. So clearly, we would need to pace ourselves.
About halfway through the second half, I got tripped accidentally, and although the fall itself wasn't hard, suddenly my calf muscles were painful tennis balls and I couldn't move. "Cramp! Cramp!!" I called out, and S, who happens to coach a soccer team, had me on my back while he and another player leaned on my toes. And then I was fine. Apparently, I had several players worried: what were they going to do without one of their needed XX chromosome pairs?? I did have another tumble later with a woman player on the other team, but again, it wasn't a hard fall. Overall, no real injuries to any of the players, despite increasingly slippery field conditions as it began drizzling during the second half. I survived, though, paced myself pretty well, and pushed to the end.
And the best part was WE WON!! 2-1. At the beer hour/ceremony afterward, our team captain gave D and me a dozen roses each for being such good sports, and good players besides. So they said, anyway. I just ran around did my best to keep my team in posession of the ball.
Today, I am sore in unexpected places. My upper arms, for instance. And my abdominal sneezing muscles, too, apparently. But I've found that I really enjoy this soccer thing.