JV Soccer

 At the start of the school year, our family was abruptly thrown into the world of school sports. Our school didn't have enough 5th-8th graders to round out both the Varsity and JV teams, so they invited 4th graders to play on JV. Cody and Jaden were thrilled about the opportunity to play for their school and, most especially, with their friends.

The JV team ended up being entirely comprised of 4th graders, at least half of whom had never played soccer before! As they would be facing other JV teams filled with 5th and 6th graders, we weren't quite sure how Salem's team would do. The coach, Dave Boldt, was a patient and encouraging leader for the kids. Over the course of the season, the team did quite well for being such a young group. They won about half of their games and fought determinedly at every one.

CODY

Cody really seemed to develop a passion for soccer this year. Perhaps it was the idea of playing for his school that excited him, as one day he commented, "It makes me a little nervous playing for Salem. If we lose, it's kinda like letting the whole school down!" He definitely was proud to play for Salem and thoroughly enjoyed both practices and games with his peers. Cody was such a tough competitor, too. He scored between 2-4 goals at every game and often played a quarter or two as goalie. He was confident and fast on the field and didn't often let the ball get by him. It was so fun watching him play as a Salem Saint!

Jason captured a couple of Cody's goals on video this year!

Playing goalie wasn't easy in the large JV-size goal and with 5th-6th grade players kicking his way, but Cody learned a lot about when to charge players and how to position himself in the goalie box. He stopped lots of goals this season! He liked being able to drop-kick the ball in this league, too (something that hasn't yet been allowed in the Klein Soccer League).

JADEN

Jaden was an amazing player for the Saints this year as well. He defended his team's goal well and knew how to dribble the ball far down the field on breakaway plays. He was always alert to pass the ball to open teammates and was unselfish with the ball. Jaden typically scored a goal or two each game and had lots of great assists. One of his most shining moments was at a weekend tournament game. Jaden got the ball away from an opponent but somehow lost his shoe in the process. Running in only one cleat didn't seem to bother him, as Jaden continued all the way down the field and even ended up scoring! Talk about some tenacious soccer playing! We were so proud of our #9 JV soccer player!

These boys, and the whole team in fact, were such a joy to watch! Despite being much younger and often much shorter than their competitors, the team encouraged each other and fought hard at every game. The games they lost were often very close. If they all stick with soccer next year, they will definitely be a reckoning force on the field!

Perhaps it is their growing maturity as soccer players or due to the fact that their teammates were their friends, but whatever the reason, we saw our boys pass the soccer ball to teammates more this season than ever before. It was fun watching the team try to play a little more strategically together. Here's a video of Cody making a great pass to Jaden that almost turned into a goal.

Successful plays or not, we love watching our boys on the field together!

Playing JV soccer also meant being involved in a weekend tournament. Salem's team played in two games and, with the help of some 5th and 6th graders coming down from varsity for the weekend, ended up with a 1st place trophy! Even though only 3 teams were involved in the tournament, it was exciting to sweep the tourney! Go Saints!

Playing on this team meant a very busy start to 4th grade for Cody and Jaden, but they never regretted their decision to play. They loved the experience and can't wait for another Salem season next year!