Achieving Goals and Making Friends!

“C’mon, Cate,” I whispered intensely, “MOVE!”

I looked at Cate on the soccer field.  Full game in motion.  And she was just standing there.

She was asked to play defense.  A position she hated.  So, she silently and stoically refused to participate.

And when the other team got the ball down to our goalie, Catelyn finally moved.

She moved to the side so she could get out of their way and allow the other team to score.

The coach looked at me and I put my head down.  I looked back up at the field.  To see stoic Catelyn return to her standing soccer position.

By the grace of God, the half time whistle was blown.  The team ran off the field to the sidelines.

Well, except Cate – Catelyn never ran off the field.  She walked with a deliberate measure.

The coach gave his pep talk and the whistle blew.  Time for the second half.

Catelyn was put in a favored position on offense.  And so she ran.  She moved.

But as she played her cleats kept coming off.  And an exasperated coach called her off the field and put in a sub.

He bent down and began to tie her shoes.  When he was finished he stood up and looked at a face that slowly broke apart.  Until she screamed and kicked the shoes off her feet.

The coach walked over to me and stated the obvious, “I can’t play her.  Until she can tie her shoes, she will have to sit out.”

 

Such was the soccer life of Catelyn.  I knew why she didn’t tie her shoes.  She didn’t like the way they felt against her foot.  Her shin guards were also offensive and always were worn outside of her socks.

This also occurred in the spring of her second grade year.  The year she was facing the challenge of a bully and becoming depressed.  Most days she spent alone in her room.  When she did participate in life, this is what her depression looked like.

She didn’t care.

Right after the school year and this particular soccer season I took Catelyln in for help.  She was diagnosed with autism and provided a lot of support, guidance and understanding.

Best of all, she started to feel better.

Here she is, playing when she was five.

At a summer soccer camp, on wacky day when she was 6 1/2.  The hair was wacky, but the shin guards were always on the outs:

Now as far as soccer goes, she loved to play.  She saw her brother play travel soccer and she wanted to play as well.  But her sensory issues prevented her from wearing a uniform.  Tying her hair back.  And wearing cleats that always stayed on her feet.

And the stress around trying to complete these tasks – trying to wear the uniform.  There were emotional explosions, outbursts, attacks.  The struggle was real!

Eventually we found an answer.  Soccer cleats with the added soccer sock.  So she doesn’t have to tie her shoe and the shoe can’t go flying off.

And shin guards that slide into the sock without the straps or ankle brace..

 

Eventually she felt ready and my husband and I agreed to let her try out for a soccer team.  We had seen how much confidence it had given Bobby and would love to have Catelyn share in that same feeling.

And she made one!  This past weekend was her first tournament.

Catelyn was so excited.  Her team did great and she had a lot of fun.  AND she is asked to play defense sometimes – which she is proud to do!

She is also socializing with a bunch of girls, making friends and they have bonded as a team!

Knowing where she started, knowing how much Cate wanted this and worked towards her goal – and achieved it – I am just so happy for her!