Since we made the move from Mannheim, the girls have participated in ProSoc Academy throughout the school year. Hailey took a season off last fall when she played outdoor soccer, and Kai played up through the start of this spring's outdoor season. I can't say enough about the program and the amazing skills taught by the German professional players in Kaiserslautern. Hailey had a rough season though with her coach, Sasha, being a little demanding. While I didn't agree with all of Sasha's coaching techniques, I did see his point (and German mentality!) and thought that Hailey should not quit and finish the season. He's loud and will call the kids out (embarrassing them and sometimes shaming them). Hailey's mentality became 'if I don't touch the ball, then I can't mess up!' which she was also called out for by Sasha! It was really tough to watch as a parent, but at the same time, we stressed to Hailey that as an adult, you can't just quit when things get hard and out of your comfort-zone. We talked about adults rewarding themselves with a night out to dinner or a trip to the spa when they accomplish something difficult at their work place. We bribed told Hailey that she could pick a reward for herself if she toughed it out through the season. I was willing to give her ANYTHING, but she choose some Lego Friends (score!) Apparently Sasha had a few parent complaints called in (I wasn't one of them!) and he seemed to lighten up a bit as the season progressed. There was a pretty large age range in Hailey's group (7-11yr olds) which probably didn't help her confidence level, but despite the struggles, she really did improve a lot over the season. Sasha also coached Kailee's group, but did so with a slightly softer spirit for the younger ones.
Hailey had to work on homework during Kailee's session because Hailey's session immediately followed from 4:30-6.
Luke managed to keep himself busy!
Kailee's group size was PEFECT, varying from 2-5 kids!!
Hailey's group was massive in comparison with up to 25 kids, but it dwindled down to about 15 by the end of the season.
Playing with her reward at the end of the season! We joke with her that she'll look back on her life and say, "When I was 7, I survived the most harrowing experience and fought to the end and because of it I can accomplish ANYTHING!" :)
No comments:
Post a Comment