Two weeks into the third season -- progress report

I said I'd report back after the first session, but I guess I missed that target.

Well, the first Sunday we had 24 people in the field (about 19 kids) which probably is as many as we had had last summer at our high point. The picture on the left, which is Coach Richard Kirby talking to some of the kids, was taken that first Sunday.

You can also get a peek at the 2007 soccer shirts. Neat, huh?

Then, last Sunday (the second Sunday of Summer Soccer this year, and Fathers Day to booot) we had 31 people in the field, mostly kids -- we were a little hard pressed for coaches in fact. We had two simultaneous scrimmages going on, and some of the littlest kids still pretty much entertaining themselves -- not where I want to be with this.

Fact is, we were so busy that I didn't even get to take any pictures! The high points included the return to Trinity of one boy who I last saw three years ago (and didn't recognize when I saw him Sunday). Also, when we gathered in a circle for the Lord's Prayer, having to consciously project my voice due to the size of the circle.

The local paper, the one that rarely prints our stuff, has now printed something about our Summer Soccer program for FOUR consecutive weeks. I'm dreading the inevitable requests from the chairs of the various programs at Trinity for me to exercise my influence with the local paper to get THEIR activities publicized. I guess I will have to suggest to them that they do something really different -- and then the journalists will beat a path to their doors.

Well, this Sunday I hereby promise to take a lot more pictures. Maybe even some video so I can put a more current video on the Trinity website (courtesy of YouTube, of course).

Here's a question: do you think it makes any sense to put an activity on the Trinity Lime Rock group in FaceBook for soccer? All thoughts welcome......

Been a while....

Tomorrow starts our third summer of what began as Summer Sunday School Soccer at Trinity Lime Rock, and our first year when we have been active in publicizing the program in the larger community.

Last summer we had around 35 kids attend at one point or another, some for one session and some for nearly all. This summer we already have 54 kids formally registered (something we didn't do last summer) -- and our local newspaper has printed not one but two notices about the program.

Over the past four days I've been participating in the tryouts for Berkshire United Soccer Club (BUSC) our local youth soccer organization, and I've been surprised at how many of the adults and the kids whom I did not know knew who I was. One mom who introduced herself said that another mom (whose name I recognized but who had not registered her kids) was planning to attend.

I said "great but tell her to get there early -- I ordered 66 shirts, and 56 are already spoken for".

Well, here goes.

I'll report back after day one.

Getting ready to go public

Well, we've run the summer soccer program at Trinity Lime Rock for two summers now. The first one started off a bit slowly, but gained momentum. The second summer took off where the last one ended and grew from there.

Anyhow, we figure that it is now time to start reaching outside the church. There are certainly kids in Lime Rock who play soccer seriously, whose families have no connection to Trinity, and who wouldn't be apt to hear about the program. Well, they might hear if our kids talked about the program at Berkshire United, or in town rec soccer, or in school soccer. However, kids are kids and don't tend to tell other kids about church.

So, we will have to do the telling. We're thinking a press release that the local paper, the Lakeville Journal will -- with a little bit of luck -- print at least part of. We're also planning on mailing invitations to the known soccer kids who live in the area of the church. And, I guess I will e-mail all the area soccer folks who are in my directory.

It will be interesting to see how it goes. We'll keep you posted.

We do YouTube

Well, we began to get in the spirit of things recently and put something up on YouTube about our summer soccer program.

No complaints yet!



And we'll do better!

Clergy at sports events

Seems to me that I remember in high school (a small town public school in upstate NY), the local Catholic priests attended ALL home athletic events, wearing their collars.

People talk about evangelism alot nowadays, and spew about their personal relationship with various manifestations of the Deity. For the most part, it's off-putting if not downright repulsive.

What those padres did was EVANGELISM.

How do you find fault with this?

Take a peek, folks. I really liked it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4Y5Qbgfwuk

National Football League versus God

Well, it's been in the news now. The National Football League has informed churches that intend to show the Super Bowl (TM) at their church that they will be prosecuted for copyright infringement.

No, it doesn't make any difference whether admission is charged, or that the activity is not-for-profit.

Unless you are a sports bar (the NFL much prefers bars to churches, evidently) you simply cannot show the Super Bowl (TM) at your church.

Why is this on a blog about kids and church and sports? Because it's about a belief that the sports business establishment wants to encourage in the wider community that sports (at least professional sports watched by couch potatoes) are cool, but that churches are NOT cool -- especially churches that see that sports and kids and church can all fit in the same sentence.

Why do they want to do this?

The answer appears to be simple: it's all about money.

Money that goes into a collection plate does not go to line the pockets of the professional sports business establishment. Kids who are doing sports at their church are not spending money on being more proficient couch potatoes.

What's the best way to fight these greedy folks?

(1) Remember what Jesus said about how easy it is for a rich man to enter heaven. And pray for the NFL and its stooges and lackeys.
(2) Encourage active, participatory sports -- especially for kids -- at your own house of worship.
(3) And do NOT show the Super Bowl (TM) at your church next year (or in your own living room, for that matter).