Kicking It

In late spring, when the Agoura Hills Department of Community Services published its "Summer 2010 Recreation Program Guide," I quickly flipped to the "Parent & Child" section. After all, my youngest son is almost three years old now, and by the time my 7-year-old was three, we had already been through a couple different versions of the class. Besides, rumor has it that LA soccer star David Beckham spent his early years kicking soccer balls and chasing his dad in their local parks. So, why not start now, I thought. After only a brief registration phone call, my son and I were confirmed participants in the city's latest toddler and parent sports class. 

Arriving at Chumash Park early Saturday morning, I was surprised to see a field full of little ones who must have begun their day with espresso double shots. The parents, including myself, however, appeared to still be yearning for our first cup. The staff for the class made up for my lack of morning energy. 

Coaches Andy and Faith had already created activity stations around an area of the park. Bright round mats, hula-hoops, various sizes and colors of soccer balls, soccer goals and a parachute dotted the landscape. Local pre-schools could've recruited them. They easily commanded the attention of most of the 16 kids, and the more challenging audience—myself and the other parents. After passing out name tags to the kids, they got started. 

For the next 45 minutes, they skillfully led us though a warm-up stretch, followed by a series of games, spanning Hula-Hoop Freeze, Parachute Fun, and various soccer kicking mini-drills. Then came the cardio fun. We were told to chase and tag our kids and let them do the same to us. Who knew that 2- to 4-year-olds could run so far so quick? Within seconds, we were all scattered across the field. 

For the most part, I was proud of how well I shared the equipment with the other parents. Wish I could say the same for my kid. As expected, I heard plenty of "Mine," "No," and "Gimme," especially regarding a coveted purple ball, which he successfully absconded during the Parachute Fun game. One minute later, he decided that he really wanted the yellow ball. 

With the World Cup ending this past weekend, this was the perfect time to initiate the next round of hopefuls. My little guy was all smiles the whole time, especially as he received his congratulatory hand stamp from the coaches and we rode off to our post class stop, Yum Yum Donuts on Kanan Road. I was enthusiastic about getting my hands on my first cup of coffee of the day, and of course to have shared my son's 45 minutes of glee.

Stay tuned for next week's class—T-Ball. I just hope that all of the balls are the same color.