Midfest Tournament
Alyssa's team played in the Midfest soccer tournament over the weekend and WON it! This was the team's 3rd tournament of the season. Her team was like Goldilocks in that they found this tournament (Midfest) that was just right for them. The first tournament was too tough for them (they buckled under pressure big time in the final game of the CU tourney); the second tournament was unfair to them (the team had to play its second game when it was their opponent's first game of the day in the Mead Cup); this tournament was just right.
It was not a super easy road for them at all and they played tough to win. They competed in the highest competitive bracket in an age group higher than theirs. They are a U10 team but they competed in the U11 age group. They easily beat their first opponent on Saturday morning, 4-2. They played a few hours later and faced probably their toughest opponent of the tourney. It was actually another U10 team that was playing up just as they were. The team was Impact Blue. We beat them narrowly 2-1. It was a hard fought battle.
Based on how our team did, how the other teams in our bracket did and the rules of advancing for this tournament (they're all a little different), we knew after our second win on Saturday that we would advance to the finals Sunday afternoon whether we won or lost our Sunday morning game. So for our Sunday morning game, the girls' coach played the girls out of position (Alyssa started as a striker. A striker(!)). We quickly went down 0-2 but recovered and ended up winning 4-2.
The final game was definitely against a U11 team. The girls were way bigger than we were and they were athletic. But, we didn't concede a goal and got three in so we won 3-0. It was great to finally win a tournament this season. With two more to go, hopefully we'll get at least one more tournament win :).
A few other things were great/Goldilockesque about this tournament (the win being the greatest. obviously).
First, the weather. Oh, the weather. Cool weather both days. Friday the temperature hit 80 so it could have been hot on Saturday and Sunday. But it wasn't. I didn't take the great weather for granted after having sat in pools of sweat during the first two tournaments this season.
Second, the girls had no early games on Saturday or Sunday. Mid morning games both days. To not have an 8:00 am game at least one of the days was a bit of a soccer miracle. Since I woke up SUPER early both days on my own (5:30 and 4:45 respectively), I didn't get to take advantage of the 10:30 AM game times. But I'm sure it was pleasant for normal slumbering adults and children alike to not have to get up at the crack of dawn for games.
Third, for us, the location of the tournament was great. We live only about 20 minutes from Smith Park in Middletown (the site of the tourney). The closest tournament site to our house is Oak Grove which is where we played the Mead Cup.
Fourth, for me personally, I appreciated that the girls played in the tournament because Saturday was the annual Air Force Marathon. I've run this many times but decided this year to not run it. I was feeling a little glum/lazy about not participating in it. When we found out that Alyssa's team was going to be in Midfest (it was not a tournament that her team was originally going to do and we entered it only because the tournament needed another U11 team in it), I took that as confirmation that I shouldn't have signed up for it; I'd have missed at least Alyssa's first Saturday game and possibly the second one if I'd run the marathon. Of course I had no idea when I decided not to run it that this tournament would be part of our day. Her team's participation in the tourney just worked out well to assuage lazy guilt on my part. To conclude/ summarize: this tournament was just right!
First game- Saturday against Impact GFC. We won 4-2. Throw in...
Alyssa spent some in time in goal. Ugh!
Size difference!
After the game... you can see how much bigger the girls from the other team are.
For the girls who like attention and eyes on them, it's a fun way to begin a game. If you're like Alyssa, you just bow your head and hope it ends soon and the game begins.
It was not a super easy road for them at all and they played tough to win. They competed in the highest competitive bracket in an age group higher than theirs. They are a U10 team but they competed in the U11 age group. They easily beat their first opponent on Saturday morning, 4-2. They played a few hours later and faced probably their toughest opponent of the tourney. It was actually another U10 team that was playing up just as they were. The team was Impact Blue. We beat them narrowly 2-1. It was a hard fought battle.
Based on how our team did, how the other teams in our bracket did and the rules of advancing for this tournament (they're all a little different), we knew after our second win on Saturday that we would advance to the finals Sunday afternoon whether we won or lost our Sunday morning game. So for our Sunday morning game, the girls' coach played the girls out of position (Alyssa started as a striker. A striker(!)). We quickly went down 0-2 but recovered and ended up winning 4-2.
The final game was definitely against a U11 team. The girls were way bigger than we were and they were athletic. But, we didn't concede a goal and got three in so we won 3-0. It was great to finally win a tournament this season. With two more to go, hopefully we'll get at least one more tournament win :).
A few other things were great/Goldilockesque about this tournament (the win being the greatest. obviously).
First, the weather. Oh, the weather. Cool weather both days. Friday the temperature hit 80 so it could have been hot on Saturday and Sunday. But it wasn't. I didn't take the great weather for granted after having sat in pools of sweat during the first two tournaments this season.
Second, the girls had no early games on Saturday or Sunday. Mid morning games both days. To not have an 8:00 am game at least one of the days was a bit of a soccer miracle. Since I woke up SUPER early both days on my own (5:30 and 4:45 respectively), I didn't get to take advantage of the 10:30 AM game times. But I'm sure it was pleasant for normal slumbering adults and children alike to not have to get up at the crack of dawn for games.
Third, for us, the location of the tournament was great. We live only about 20 minutes from Smith Park in Middletown (the site of the tourney). The closest tournament site to our house is Oak Grove which is where we played the Mead Cup.
Fourth, for me personally, I appreciated that the girls played in the tournament because Saturday was the annual Air Force Marathon. I've run this many times but decided this year to not run it. I was feeling a little glum/lazy about not participating in it. When we found out that Alyssa's team was going to be in Midfest (it was not a tournament that her team was originally going to do and we entered it only because the tournament needed another U11 team in it), I took that as confirmation that I shouldn't have signed up for it; I'd have missed at least Alyssa's first Saturday game and possibly the second one if I'd run the marathon. Of course I had no idea when I decided not to run it that this tournament would be part of our day. Her team's participation in the tourney just worked out well to assuage lazy guilt on my part. To conclude/ summarize: this tournament was just right!
First game- Saturday against Impact GFC. We won 4-2. Throw in...
Alyssa spent some in time in goal. Ugh!
Size difference!
After the game... you can see how much bigger the girls from the other team are.
Second Saturday game- We played another Impact team- Impact Blue. This team was playing up in the tournament as we were so they were our age- U10. We won 2-1.
I didn't attend Sunday morning's game but we beat our opponents, Kings Hammer Fury, 4-2. This was the game that our coach played kids out of normal positions since we could lose the game and still make the finals.
Here are some pictures from the final game against Lakota FC RedHawks. We won 3-0.
Several tournaments we've been to, including this one, have the kids at each finals game walk out onto the field together. I'm not sure why, but obviously it's a photo op...
For the girls who like attention and eyes on them, it's a fun way to begin a game. If you're like Alyssa, you just bow your head and hope it ends soon and the game begins.
Throw in...
Celebrating after someone on our team scored a goal...
After we WON the game, it was time to get trophies. There was a back up of teams waiting to get their trophies (many games ended at or near the same time as ours). I had to leave because Abby had a dance class that I had to get back home for to take her to. So, I didn't take the below pictures; Donnie did with this phone.
Donnie and Alyssa stopped at Walmart on their way home from the final game. Donnie bought Alyssa a few things for playing well in the tournament so here is what she has to show for the weekend :).
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