Kristi signed Raigan up to play soccer when she was five, she returned and informed me that I was the coach. I knew nothing about soccer, the rules or how to play. I have been coaching Raigan's team since that time, I have also coached Kerrigan's teams since the time she was able to play. We play two seasons a year, so this has been a big part of our lives.  With soccer if you coach the same team from Fall to Spring the team stays together. So I have coached some of the same girls for 8 seasons.

I have genuinely developed an interest in the game. It all started as wanting to learn more about the game so that I could be a better coach. We have a great team of girls (who won our league championship last season) and I did not want hurt them compared to other coaches that knew more about the game in general than I did. But Kristi started something that has turned into a monster. For me it has been like discovering a new part of the world that I did not even know existed.

Signs that the monster is growing: We have the FC Dallas team, it is Major League Soccer team that plays less 30 minutes away from us, making it available to go to the games. We have atteded the last two MLS Cup Championship games. A new fad in our student ministry is playing FIFA Soccer game on our video games at the church.I watch it on TV, I started watching the English Premiership Games, and even thinking about joining a coed soccer team.

What I also think is interesting is how God uses your passions, or even grows them to be used by him. While in El Paso last summer, when our work projects fell through the cracks we put together a soccer camp for neighborhood children. This was a power outreach, one that we plan on doing again this summer in El Paso, or even here in big VA.

My new favorite team, is Chelsea of the English Premier League. I first started liking them because of playing FIFA game. I also liked their blue/white VA like team colors. Then I found out that they are the two-time EPL champions. But, just my luck they are having a down year and are having trouble catching the hated Manchester United team.

I wanted to test out how to add a youtube video to my blog, so I thought that a soccer video would be fitting.