Future Team USA soccer star

When I was pregnant with my daughter, I used to tell my husband that she was going to be a soccer player because of all the kicking she did while inside of me.  Who knew that just a few years later, she'd be asking us to play!

Last October, two of my nephews played in the AYSO soccer league in Visalia and I took Faith to go see them play.  She loved it!  While one cousin was playing his game, she was kicking a soccer ball around with the other.  Needless to say, I needed to get her involved some how.

Back in January, I saw a banner posted at the elementary school down the street from us that the Clovis Unified offered a Little Kickers program for ages 3-5 and the spring season started on March 9th, the week after her third birthday.  I called to verify that she would be eligible to play and then signed her up!

She is beyond excited.  To get her ready, daddy and I took her to get some shin guards and to find her some soccer shoes.  We found the shin guards at Target, but couldn't find any cleats her size.  After asking around from friend and Facebook, we found that a local soccer shop carried toddler sized cleats.  So, off we went.

We found a pair of Addias cleats that were just her size and I ended up letting her walk out of the store with them off because she refused to take them off.

Well, she is so excited about playing soccer that I found her trying to put her cleats on by herself in the living room the other day.  It was so cute.  She looked up at me and told me, "I play soccer, momma!"  Her excitement just melts me heart. 

Trying to put her cleats on by herself

(Yes...I had to buy her her own soccer bag and it had to be Addias to match her shoes.)

Daddy and I have taken her out to the park a few time to kick the ball around a little to get her used to it, but I'm looking forward to watching her play with kids her own age.  I can only hope that she grows up loving the sport just as much as her mommy did when she was younger!

Looks like a natural!