By far the majority of our time in Houston was spent on the soccer field. Within just two weeks of moving into the house we joined Challenge Soccer Club. Challenge is one of a select few competitive girls soccer clubs in Texas. The program starts with a youth academy that feeds into league play through U18. It's a full year club designed to develop girls for college level play. More than 85% of last years graduating Challenge seniors were recruited for college soccer from 25 different universities. We weren't going into Challenge with the idea of putting Brenna on a path for professional soccer, but she was set that this was the league she wanted to play for.
Things progressed quickly once we joined. After playing the 2017 fall season in youth academy, she was bumped up to a U11 league team for the 2018 spring season. Then in May we took part in annual tryouts and were excited to hear that Brenna was selected to play up on the U13 team (totally skipped U12...) We had our concerns, as she was only 10 at the time and would be competing against 11-13 year olds. Also, U13 is the first official year of true FIFA regulation style soccer; meaning size 5 ball, 11v11, and 100x60 yards fields. For Brenna that meant learning to play a new position (verses previous 9v9 format) and a much larger field requiring more ground to cover. After talking with her coaches, they assured us that she was ready to compete, so we joined Challenge 06 Red East.
We started with three weeks of 4-day/week preseason training in July, giving up our last few weeks of summer. Once preseason was complete we practiced three days a week for two hours each session with games on Saturdays and Sundays and tournaments all over southeast Texas. We played in the pouring rain, the freezing cold, and the scorching heat. And practice was never cancelled because of rain. They'd just move it to the parking lot.
All the girls had to complete fitness testing for rankings. The girls took part in timed agility tests, the 25 yard dash, vertical jump, and the beep test for endurance. The data was then used to rank the results of the entire club based on age. We had to complete neurocognitive testing to provide baseline data for concussion management. As I sat in the hospital waiting for our appointment I wondered how good of a parent I was if I was actively planning for my child to incur a concussion! The club also provided nutritional seminars on healthy eating for athletes.
The coaches were tough, and not always nice. During practices, if someone made a mistake the whole team had to stop, drop, and do push-ups. There was lots of colorful commentary from the coaches on the sidelines during practices and games. Some of my favorite are:
How many lefts do you have?
Can you see the ball? Do I need to get you glasses?
I need you to make a decision faster than my grandma!
I'm going to put posters up that say "Have you seen this left foot?" on every tree in the park.
Are you dead? You're moving like a zombie! Pick up the pace!
You look like the Grinch that Stole Christmas! Stop tip-toeing through the ladder!
You have to talk to each other on the field! I know you can because you sound like a bunch of chickens during practice!
Needless to say, this club is not for the faint of heart. It was brutal at times, but Brenna never backed down. There were even moments we threatened to pull her out and she fought back to stay. The program has taught her about team work and communication and how hard work and dedication pays off in skill and knowledge. I'm so proud of the effort and determination she's put into this.
As the year progressed, so did their level of play. Unfortunately, I didn't take a single picture or video throughout the entire year. The game was so fast that I didn't want to try to keep up with any of it through a lens. I didn't want to miss a second of playing time. Thankfully, another mom sacrificed herself for the team and photographed a couple of the games and tournaments.
It was a great year with Challenge Soccer Club and a time that I know Brenna will remember for a lifetime.
Things progressed quickly once we joined. After playing the 2017 fall season in youth academy, she was bumped up to a U11 league team for the 2018 spring season. Then in May we took part in annual tryouts and were excited to hear that Brenna was selected to play up on the U13 team (totally skipped U12...) We had our concerns, as she was only 10 at the time and would be competing against 11-13 year olds. Also, U13 is the first official year of true FIFA regulation style soccer; meaning size 5 ball, 11v11, and 100x60 yards fields. For Brenna that meant learning to play a new position (verses previous 9v9 format) and a much larger field requiring more ground to cover. After talking with her coaches, they assured us that she was ready to compete, so we joined Challenge 06 Red East.
We started with three weeks of 4-day/week preseason training in July, giving up our last few weeks of summer. Once preseason was complete we practiced three days a week for two hours each session with games on Saturdays and Sundays and tournaments all over southeast Texas. We played in the pouring rain, the freezing cold, and the scorching heat. And practice was never cancelled because of rain. They'd just move it to the parking lot.
All the girls had to complete fitness testing for rankings. The girls took part in timed agility tests, the 25 yard dash, vertical jump, and the beep test for endurance. The data was then used to rank the results of the entire club based on age. We had to complete neurocognitive testing to provide baseline data for concussion management. As I sat in the hospital waiting for our appointment I wondered how good of a parent I was if I was actively planning for my child to incur a concussion! The club also provided nutritional seminars on healthy eating for athletes.
The coaches were tough, and not always nice. During practices, if someone made a mistake the whole team had to stop, drop, and do push-ups. There was lots of colorful commentary from the coaches on the sidelines during practices and games. Some of my favorite are:
How many lefts do you have?
Can you see the ball? Do I need to get you glasses?
I need you to make a decision faster than my grandma!
I'm going to put posters up that say "Have you seen this left foot?" on every tree in the park.
Are you dead? You're moving like a zombie! Pick up the pace!
You look like the Grinch that Stole Christmas! Stop tip-toeing through the ladder!
You have to talk to each other on the field! I know you can because you sound like a bunch of chickens during practice!
Needless to say, this club is not for the faint of heart. It was brutal at times, but Brenna never backed down. There were even moments we threatened to pull her out and she fought back to stay. The program has taught her about team work and communication and how hard work and dedication pays off in skill and knowledge. I'm so proud of the effort and determination she's put into this.
As the year progressed, so did their level of play. Unfortunately, I didn't take a single picture or video throughout the entire year. The game was so fast that I didn't want to try to keep up with any of it through a lens. I didn't want to miss a second of playing time. Thankfully, another mom sacrificed herself for the team and photographed a couple of the games and tournaments.
It was a great year with Challenge Soccer Club and a time that I know Brenna will remember for a lifetime.
