Ukraine Adoption

Run Tara Run

The sun was setting and the chill returned to the air. Moms and dads on the sidelines were bundled in winter coats and vests. I grabbed and hugged Tara one more time before sending her off to her first ever soccer game. "Remember to kick the ball that way!" I whispered in her ear. She nodded and ran onto the field, her ponytail bobbing. Did she really understand?

Off they went, a clump of kids chasing the ball. What a sight! Some kids were kicking dandelions, others were looking up at the sky. Tara was timid at first, following along with the crowd. Her friend Mallory is on the team; Mallory's dad is a coach. After the first few minutes, they had a quick break. I pulled her aside: Get to the ball! Kick it down the field! Chase it!

Then she got the idea. Little Tara Vika kicked that ball again and again! She ran after it, turned it around and kicked it toward the goal. She stuck her leg in the mix, again and again. Before long, I could hear others yelling her name. Two different moms asked, "Who is the little girl in the blue socks??" That's Tara, I said. "Has she played a lot of soccer?" One asked me. Why no, this is her first game ever, I said. They couldn't believe it.
She was in constant motion, zipping this way and that, sometimes actually making a difference in the game.
In the middle of the game, her coach looked at me and said, "She's fast!" Another coach told me: "Tara really gets it. She knows the game. She knows to turn and go the right way. Not a lot of kids get it like she does."

Alas, she didn't score any goals. And she did cry once, when she got kicked hard in the shin--just above the shin guard. The cold air made it sting. But she recovered quickly.

Just wait until next week...

Posted by Laura at April 28, 2008 08:31 PM
Posted to Tara's Story