Anyone who grew up in the fifties and sixties has to marvel at the organized life of today's kids. In the fifties, we came home from school and played pick-up football or baseball depending on the season. One or two of us maybe had a glove, which was shared. More often than not the bat really was a stick in our version of stick ball. Bases were strategically placed rocks. We played until we got bored or someone's Mom yelled out that it was time for supper.Today kids register for the privilege to play games. I pulled this from a Soccer Club's website:

"The season begins the day after Labor Day with practices during the week and games or practice scrimmages that first Saturday after Labor Day. The season concludes the weekend before Thanksgiving. Teams from kindergarten through sixth grade will practice once per week and play one game per week on Saturday. The practice night depends on what evening your coach selects. The practice will last about one hour and will begin between 5:30pm and 6:30pm depending on your coach. Games last between 45 minutes and 1 hour depending on the grade your child is in. For grades 7-12 there are no practices, only games. The games take place on Saturdays and sometimes on a Sunday. Fields and season are the same as above."

Am I alone in finding it strange that "Kindergarten" teams practice, and no practice is required for kids grades 7-12. I guess the rational is that many years of practice is required before you can just play a "game" for fun. The following appeared in my local newspaper. I've deleted the names. I'm not sure who I am protecting, maybe the humiliated parent who's U9 son or daughter doesn't "shine on defense". Or, more likely, the "all arms and legs" U9 child facing countless years of therapy and medication because they know, if they had been mentioned in the newspaper, the caption would have been "and "M just plain sucked!".

U9 boys: "R" and "O" played well offensively in the opener against "H". "K" shined on defense and "L" used his speed to help the team. "N" played in goal.

The previous snippet from the Internet stated that practice for kindergarten through sixth grade, began between 5:30pm and 6:30pm, depending on your coach. Now when I was a kid, that was the time that Mom usually had supper ready. Of course, my childhood was deficient by today's standards. We had no coaches. I found this prominently displayed on a Community Club's site:

"J" has been working for over 15 years with his World Cup Soccer Camps. "J", about six years ago, started our U-8 development training. "J" now hires, trains and oversees most of our U-9 and U-10 girls and boys coaches.

Well, I guess in today's world U-8, U-9 and U-10 girls and boys are "developed" by highly trained coaches. These U-8 kids train between 5:30pm and 6:30pm. When do they eat supper?

I can't help but wonder if any of the kids today get to have the fun that we did. Do they still get the opportunity to just play? Have their parents, the highly trained coaches, forgot that soccer is a game?

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Waldo County, situated in mid-coast Maine along scenic Penobscot Bay, has genuine New England character evidenced by working port towns and quaint rural villages. Visitors are awed by the area's unspoiled beauty. From striking coastal views to sweeping mountain vistas, dramatic natural settings abound. In addition great care has been taken to preserve and refurbish numerous historic landmarks, homes and buildings. Consequently, the Maine of yesteryear is still found here.

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