Speaking out: We soccer families have it pretty good

I've written about youth sports before, both appreciating how they operate and calling for improvement. Right now, sports are a big part of our family life with our kids at the age where we want them to try new things, step out of their comfort zone, and see what fits. There are reasons to limit kids' activities and not get over-programmed, but there are simultaneously reasons to let kids dip their toes into various waters and find their niche. Can we really expect our kids to find something they love on the first try? Or stick with something they started at age 3? And to be clear, this isn't just referring to sports. It's all kinds of activities, from music to art to mini-jobs such as lawn mowing or babysitting.

We have had a busy fall with soccer, football, basketball, volleyball and orchestra starting back up with the school year. It's definitely been a lot to keep track of, to figure out what time we can eat supper together at the table, and to make sure everyone is in bed on time. While football is new to us, the other items are getting to be old hat.

Last Saturday I was reflecting on how many seasons of soccer we have played through Dakota United between spring and fall sessions and all three of our kids. In all that time, I have marveled at how smoothly things run every Saturday.

If you've never been to a game, there are 12 fields at Cottonwood Park used by pre-K through sixth grade teams, with games on each field nearly every hour on the hour from early morning until late afternoon. There are thousands of people there all day between players and spectators. And yet, games always run on time, refs are always ready to go, there's always a good spot to watch your player, and teams needing a sub always seem to find an option - many times on the spot. We've had good coaches and really great coaches; we've had great teams and some that struggled; and we've always had an awesome experience.

I hope we parents of soccer players stop and appreciate how good we have it here. It's easy to show up on Saturday, sit in a lawn chair for an hour, and go home for lunch, forgetting about the fact that someone had to schedule each of those games, find and train age-appropriate refs for each of those games, ensure each team had a coach, have equipment and order the jerseys for each of those teams, load the schedule and all league information to the app, and so much more. I don't envy that job, and I'm sure it's not only thankless but also criticized. Yet more than anything, it deserves a round of applause.

We are blessed in our community to have an option like Dakota United for our kids to try soccer, both learning the game and becoming competitive with it, without high stakes, high price tags or multiple nights of commitment. This is the kind of opportunity that should exist in more sports and activities. This is the kind of opportunity that kids need to try on different options to see what fits.

I'm not sure any of our kids will continue with soccer past sixth grade, but I'm also sure that's not the point of enjoying it now. The point is, they are doing something they like to push their bodies in healthy ways. The point is, they are learning from parent-coaches who are interested in their development. The point is, they are growing with each passing season. The point is, they are having fun.

Thank you to everyone who runs and volunteers with Dakota United. You are doing a good thing.

When not living it up as a wife and mom of three, Amanda Godfread is regional director of Make-A-Wish North Dakota and a co-host of the podcast, "Welcome to Our Box."