Soccer: Fall 2014

Just wrapped up a season of soccer. The journey came with more bumps in the road than we anticipated, but in the end it's been a memorable experience. At the end of summer we asked the boys if they wanted to play football and I was surprised when they seemed uninterested. Mote asked me if I could sign him up for soccer and I pretty much dismissed his request thinking he would forget about it. He didn't. He was so persistent and continued to ask me if I could register him. I called the league and the team he wanted to sign up for was full. Thinking this would persuade him not to play I told him and to my surprise he was still determined to sign up. Since he would be playing I convinced the other 2 boys to join and it was settled... all 3 would be playing Fall soccer. It's been years since they've last played and I didn't expect them be as great as they were. Mote absolutely blew me away. He is a natural and I was hesitant to say this at first, but he reminds me of Fatu on the field. The other 2 don't have the "average" physique for soccer, but they did amazing. I am so proud of their growth this past season and their discipline to learn this game. It was so fun to watch them play! It was definitely hard to work things out with my schedule and I lost A LOT of sleep, but it was totally worth it. I'm so glad we took this journey. I feel like the conditioning they got will only help them in any other sport they decide to take on. It was hard for Ti not being able to be here for every game. I would text him throughout both games to keep  him updated on scores and plays. There were days that we would spend 9+ hours at the park. On those days I would wake up before the sun was out to pack our cooler full of sandwiches, snacks, and drinks. We would load our cooler, blankets, pillows, and chairs in the back of the truck. Between games we would hang out under the shade of trees and eat or take naps.

These were the days - the days that we had double headers, that were probably most memorable. These days and days that I had to run the boys to 2 different parks to practices that overlapped made me appreciate my parents... and it gave me a lot of respect for Fatu. I remember him having the busiest schedule as a kid. I don't know how he was able to handle all of the chaos at such a young age. On Ti's last week off he actually flew out early to watch the boy's games. It was seriously the best surprise for them.

 

We ended the season yesterday at a duel for the championship. Mote & Nic's team actually made it all the way to the end. And what better way to go out than a shootout. The game was tied 2-2 which resulted in a shootout. Thank goodness it wasn't Mote's first shootout. He came through for his team to sink his goal. To make things more intense we were tied after the first round of shots, so we had to push things into a 2nd round. This time whichever team missed first, lost. Nic was the first one to shoot from our team and I seriously think I gained an ulcer from the stress. But he made his goal! In the end we won and came out champs!

It was such a sweet way to end the season. Not sure what sport is next, but I'm sure it'll be just as much fun.

Spring Football

All 3 boys are in football this year! They were so happy that their grandpa was able to make it in for their game this morning.

Season Opener: Lions vs. Titans

Mote and Nic played their very first football game on Saturday and it was awesome!!! I didn't think their team would understand the game well enough because they're so young, but I was wrong. The game started off shaky. We got scored on within the first couples minutes, so I was sure we were going to get blown out. It took them a little bit to find their groove, but when they did they were awesome!! Mote scored 3 times to help his team to victory and Nic played both offense and defense.

They both said they had fun. I had such a good time watching them play and I can't wait for next Saturday to watch them again!! Go Lions!!!

Santa Monica vs. Las Vegas

1.28.12
We took a trip out to Southern California back in January to watch Ti Tonga play rugby. Since I have weekends off we decided to turn it into a mini family getaway. We picked up our rental on Friday so that we could hit the road as soon as I got off work Saturday morning. I got a little bit of sleep in the car, but not much. There was no major traffic and the weather was BEAUTIFUL! As soon as we got there we went straight to the field where Ti Tonga's team was playing. Super intense game with it resulting in a draw. The boys had the camera most of the time, so I didn't get that many pictures of the game, but here's the few that I have...

I regret packing pants. Should've only taken shorts and sandals!!

 

Siope kept saying he was a scarecrow

I could create a whole blog dedicated to this crazy kid!

Just busted my lip wrestling with my brothers... no biggie

Final Score: Santa Monica - 27, Las Vegas - 27 

more trip details to come...

Victorious Saturday

9:20 am: Force FC vs. Buffalos >>Final Score 3-0
12:00 pm: Kickin' Littles vs. Bullets >>Final Score 3-1
1:00 pm: Blackjacks vs. Back Bay >>Final Score 79-10

The boys each had games this morning. Mote's team did a lot better today. Last week's beating was pretty brutal, but today Mote scored and helped his team pull a win. Nici and Siope are coming right along. Nic got close to scoring a couple times. They are so fun to watch. This game there was a lot more improvement on actually stopping when the ref blew his whistle :) We celebrated their victories with snow cones from the snack bar. We didn't get a chance to make it to Ti Tonga's rugby game, but they played a team from Newport Beach today and also came out on top.

Making Headlines

Me and Ti browse the Salt Lake reports more so than Vegas stories. I came across a couple of news articles on someone by the name of Fatu Moala =) My youngest brother will be entering his senior year at Kearns High School (woot woot!) And I'm hoping that their football team will have a successful season.

"Expectations are very high inside Kearns High's football program,
and the fact that the Cougars are planning on accomplishing some
big things this fall speaks volumes about the job coach Bill Cosper
has done since taking over the program two years ago."
-D. Rasmussen

photo courtesy of Desert News

Between the Deseret News and Salt Lake Tribune they've described Fatu as being a "stellar weapon at wide receiver" and a "Division 1 kid".
He's got so much talent in that skinny little body of his. I remember how busy his schedule was growing up. I hated taking him to practice because it was an all day task. He would wake me up early to take him to an ODP (Olympic Development Program) soccer tournament and I'd sleep in the car until his game was done. We'd come home to get something to eat and it wasn't long before we'd be off again. This time I'd drop him off at soccer practice with a different team. He was only 11 or 12 and he was practicing with 16 yr olds. I remember going to pick him up and seeing this scrawny little Tongan boy surrounded by a bunch of palangi High school kids. I watched nervously, afraid that they might pick on him but none of them did. I think they all respected him and his ability to keep up with them. And that wasn't the end of his day. After that 2nd activity he would be off to football. At the time I didn't think much of it. But now that I look back, I'm amazed at how much Fatu was able to handle at such a young age. His schedule has been pretty hectic since he first showed interest in sports. I hope all his years of practice, training, and hard work will pay off. I would love to see him go far- heaven knows he's certainly capable of doing so. I've seen him excel in Soccer, Basketball, and football. I sometimes wonder if he even realizes how much talent he holds? If so, then he sure doesn't show it. Cockiness is not his thing. Which is probably why everyone loves to cheer him on. I know without a doubt in my mind that this kid is capable of big things. I just hope he's given the opportunity to achieve them. Good luck Fatu, in all that you do!