Football Practice

After the ballet disaster, I was keen to find something active that Jasmine could get involved in, and noticing that she is very good at kicking and dribbling a footbal, asked her if she'd like to give football a go. Benjamin goes every thursday after school and is coming along really well - he's got great pace and scores pretty much every game. Nick took the afternoon off work to come along. He never gets to watch Ben play football and was keen to see him play for the first time in his new Arsenal kit that he got for Christmas, as well as see Jasmine's first training session.

Ben and another boy give Jasmine some tips

doesn't look like she needs their help to me!

Look how tiny she is!

How handsome is he!

Little Jasmine looked so tiny on the pitch with all the other bigger boys (and the two other girls), but she did fantastically! She listened well, paid attention and really tried hard with the ball skills. When it came to match time she got stuck right in and didn't shy from tackling for the ball, even scoring a goal for her team! At one point she banged heads with another child and that seemed to be the end of her. I think she was just cold and tired - she'd already done a full day at nursery and the training session lasts an hour. After a pep talk I managed to get her to the edge of the pitch, and when Ben the trainer came to encourage her she was off like a shot, back in the thick of it.