YOU BET!
After 3 weeksof hard work, sore muscles, and aching bones, of practicing for 2 hours each on Mondays, Thursdays, and Sunday mornings (8-10am), of scrimmaging our husbands and kids, of listening to them tell us to run faster or kick harder - the mom's tournament was yesterday, Saturday November 4th, 2006.
I have practicing hard with my team (3 times a week). Some highlights of those practices include:
After the 1st practice: Regan told me that I needed to "put more heart into it".
Getting razzed by Tim & my team for spening $100 on my cleats (I went for comfort - not cost) and I am so glad that I did - everyone else was getting blisters and sore feet, but mine were comfy, cozy.
Yvette got taken out by Tim (accidentally of course) - they were going after the same ball, and he got her ankle.
Sal (our Coach) saying that his U12 boys team listened better than us. LOL of course
At one of the last practices: We were scrimmaging the guys and Tim & I were going for the same ball - he slide tackled me, I flew up and did a body slam on the field, had the wind knocked out of me and just ached all over.
I never knew that working this hard was so much fun. For someone who does not think working out or running is fun, I have had a blast practicing soccer.
Things I have learned from this experience:
I learned that icy hot and ibuprophen really do help when you just can't stop. I learned that slide tackling is illegal in soccer, that getting the wind knock out of you hurts more as a 36 year old woman than when you were a kid, that SOCCER IS HARDER THAN IT LOOKS! LOL
To answer the beginning - Yes it was definitely worth every bit of the hard work that went into preparing for it.
Am I sore today, YOU BET! I guess I am not as young as I once was - But you can bet that I am going to do it again next year.
