Sometimes when you want to take a photo it can be the wrong time of day and the sunlight is not shining where you would like it. Other times the conditions are perfect. Like this one.

What does that have to do with playing sport in the rain? Nothing. I took this shot while Dani was getting ready for his second game of football last Saturday. I just thought it was good…

Sports in the Rain…

When I was growing up and started playing sports we used to play in all sorts of weather. We didn’t have much choice really. It usually rained during most of the football season. That’s what happens in the UK in autumn and winter. It was just accepted. You played football, you got wet – or worse still soaked and covered in mud.

Even in school we would play football and rugby in the pouring rain. Covered in mud then into the showers. But here in Australia when it rains they are quick to cancel or postpone kids sporting events. Dani’s football training (before and after school) has been cancelled more times than not this last couple of months. It has been wetter than usual however and some fields have been totally water-logged at times. But not always.

Games too, at weekends, have been cancelled. Last Friday was scheduled for the cross country event at Dani’s school. It rained the day before and more rain was forecast for the race day. But thankfully the school went ahead with the event. As it turned out there was no heavy rain on the actual day. It would have been really harsh on the kids. Last year’s cross country races were cancelled due to…. Nah. I just can’t bring myself to say it. You know why…

I know cross country was a hated event when I was at school but the kids at Dani’s school seemed to love it. But then it was a half day out in Centennial Park. What’s not to like?

This year Dani went in his correct age group and managed to finish in the top 10. Not bad going and not far behind the winner.

That was Friday – This was Saturday

A rain-free day. The first of the week. And two games of (real) football for Dani before we went to watch an Aussie rules football game at the Sydney cricket ground. Sydney Swans vs Essendon Bombers.

The first (real) football game was for his school team at Queens Park playing fields. There are two teams in the league from his school year. Called City and United LOL. Last year the coaches mixed the better players with the (shall we say) not so good ones, so both teams were equally good – or equally bad. This year the coaches have decided, in their wisdom, to put all the good players in the same team – City. Which means that Dani’s team (United) doesn’t really have any of the top players in that school year. Dani is not very good but he tries and is improving (slowly). Incidentally there are three girls who play football and they are all on Dani’s team. From what I have seen so far they are not too bad.

The problem of course, is that while City are thrashing their rivals United are getting stuffed. One team is going to become disillusioned if not totally pissed off, while the (better) players on the other team are not really being stretched. They will not improve. At least Dani’s team should learn and improve as they are playing against better teams. That is, if they do not get completely discouraged.

I missed the first half when I decided to buy a coffee at the Queens Park kiosk after parking the car. It seemed a good idea at the time. Twenty five minutes later, maybe not. I only missed about 5 (or was it 6) goals – for Dani’s opposition. Final score? Maybe 8-0, nobody was keeping score after half time… I think I will do a full match report for the next game. Yeah, good idea that…

That was late morning. After lunch it was game number two. Not the norm. This week Dani filled in for one of his school mates on a local team as his friend was away with his family. The game had been moved due to the rains, to a slightly less water-logged pitch near the Macquarie lighthouse – hence the photo above. I’m afraid to say it was more of the same. Although Dani’s team scored a couple early in the game, they let in far too many. I am amazed that the kids are not totally demoralised. They still enjoy it and still want to do it all again next week.

AFL – Sydney Swans vs Essendon Bombers

The professional game in the evening was fairly good. The AFL games go on a bit too long for my liking – 2 hours play over four, thirty minute periods (plus the breaks). But you can eat and have a beer or three in the stadium and it is all safe fun.

Final score: Swans  105  Essendon Bombers 47. That was a good win for the Swans. Dani remained quite focussed on the game right till the end.

Would you believe that in the large stadium with a crowd of over 27 thousand, Dani bumped into someone he knew? Actually it was someone we all knew. An older boy from or building who was at the game with a friend. Still. What are the odds?

We got home after 10.30pm and the boy was knackered. As was his old dad.

Sunday…

On Sunday he had his third game of the weekend – again on the field near the lighthouse. Another heavy defeat. I think I am becoming more demoralised than the kids. What are the coaches telling them?

In the afternoon we went to see a film which was being shown as part of the Spanish Film Festival. It was called ‘The Kids Are Alright’ – ‘¡A todo tren! Destino Asturias’ in Spanish. Basically the adults taking a group of kids to a camping vacation site in Asturias miss the overnight train from Madrid. Yeah, I know, I know! Anyway this leaves the kids to fend for themselves on the train. Meanwhile the adults try to intercept the train by any means possible leading to all sorts of daft capers. The film was clearly for kids, but it was stupid enough to keep adults entertained. Dani loved it.

All in all a busy weekend for the boy.