So How Was Practise Tonight Aidan?

Before I get to the heart of the matter, I have to preface this with a disclaimer:  I consider myself to be an athletic person.  Yep.  I think that I'm pretty coordinated and capable, and have played competitive sports for most of my life.

Yet for some reason, I'm ALWAYS the one who gets nailed, pegged, hit..... (you get the idea) by the ball. 

Back in the day when I played ultimate, it was a joke on our team that I had an internal magnet.  Because no matter where I was on the field, I would be the one to get hit by the Frisbee.  Let's not go into the time when Chris pegged me in the temple with a Frisbee going no less then 30 mph.  His comment: "You should have had your eyes on the disc!!".

And then there was the time when Aidan and I were playing hockey in the backyard two winters ago and he nailed me in the face with a puck.  Oh yes he did!  Thankfully it was an orange road hockey puck and not a real ice hockey puck, but it still looked like I had silicone injections in my lips for about a week.

Anywho.....

Last night at Aidan's soccer practice we were working on proper kicking technique.  The boys were kicking the balls off a flat cone, trying to make contact with their shoelaces and lift the ball.

I was helping one of the boys with his kick, when all of a sudden......


WHAM!!!

You guessed it. 

A ball right in the face. 

My hat flew off, my eyes started watering, and my nose started running.  Once my eyes focused, I looked up and saw Aidan with his hands over his mouth.

My own flesh and blood, just nailed me in the face with a freakin' soccer ball!

Now let's put this in perspective.  Here's a rough drawing to give you an idea of how it played out:
      
                                                        Aidan




                  Player 1     Me               Aidan's partner

I was a good 15 yards away from Aidan, and off to his right.  Yet somehow he managed to hit me smack in the kisser. 

I put my hat back on, told everyone that I was OK, and then said to Aidan: "You know if you had followed through on your kick it would have gone straight instead of shanking off to the side."

Everything is a coaching opportunity right?

When we got home from practice, Chris asked Aidan: "So how was practice tonight Aidan?"

Aidan's response?

"Not very good.  I hit Mummy in the face with the ball."

Guess that internal magnet's still on......