The AYSO Soccer Ref

This is a quick ode to my teenage son, whom I appreciate so much for his resilience and patience with his loving mum.

We are so proud of our boy.  He is going to become a youth soccer ref.  He chooses to take the ref. class out of the goodness of his kind, community minded heart.  I’m glowing with that fleeting moment of a mother with a teen – perhaps we haven’t done such a bad job with our kid after all.  Dash has played soccer since Kindergarten.  He continues to play as a goalkeeper in the AYSO league (American Youth Soccer Organization) and now he is graduating into helping out this wonderful organization and giving back by being a volunteer referee.

The class takes up a good part of the day.  Dash comes home late in the afternoon.  He has his “swag bag” with a whistle, ref. shorts and of course his yellow and black striped ref shirt.

“Mom, Mom” he calls from his room.  “C’m here!”

Oh, how my heart is leaping.  My kid actually wants to talk to me.  He is returning from the dark side of the moon.  I rush… calmly walk… to his room.

“What’s up?  I coolly inquire.

“Have you seen all the stuff I got from ref. class?”  He shows me his whistle, his youth volunteer badge, the flags, the clothes etc…

“But here is the important stuff.”  He grins.  He shows me the yellow card – the warning card.  Then out comes the red card – you’re off the field.

“Now let me explain how this works, mommy.  We now no longer have to actually talk to communicate, when you come into my room and annoy me for the first time, I’ll show you the yellow card.  If you continue to talk and bother me, well, you know what’s coming.”  He flashes the red card.  “Then you are banned from my room.”  He smiles angelically.

I laugh.  I cry a little inside.  I’m glad there’s still humor.  I think?

“You can go now.”  He blows his whistle

The game of parenting, growing up and life continues.