Not sure if anyone remembers this song from the '70's but I have not been able to post anything about Mark's soccer success.  You see here is the little secret that I have been hiding.  Mark started out his soccer this year all excited with the uniform and seemed like he wanted to get going.  To my great horror, my son was THE ONE and only who had absolutely no interest in the game at all.  I was so humiliated as he would not sit with the group and would not even consider being on the field.  I would take him each week and suffer the angst of watching him walk away totally uninterested and actually outright defiant that "He could not do it, did not want to play and lets go home, I want to see my Daddy, I like my Daddy, I don't like my Mommy".  Each week Momma dressed him in his uniform and told him it would be fun and each week Mark sat in the back seat saying "I don't want to play soccer ball!" I spent an entire day at a tournament walking beside him and picking him up and bringing him back to the game, only to have him wander off again.  It seemed hopeless but I knew that he needs so desperately to develop his social skills prior to starting school.  One questions if he is too young, not meant for soccer or if he should be encouraged towards gymnastics or just ditch the sports and go for pure academics like science and math.  There are no manuals for this.  Do you let him give up, do you push harder or do you try again later?  Maybe it is just not his thing and he will excel at something else.  But the other side is how do you integrate him into a community if he insists on sitting out the game on the sidelines.  How do you make him feel included and accepted by his peers?  Well my humility and embarrassment has paid off.  As painful as it has been, tonight Mark joined in the game!!!  He has shown a bit more interest in the last few games in kicking the ball but only on the sidelines and never actually on the field during a game.  Well tonight he was out there kicking and trying his best to be a part of it all, on the field and during a game.  He even got to be in the net and stopped a ball from the opposing team, preventing a goal!  His little teammates told him "Good job, you were awesome!"  He got a thumbs up from his coach and a high five!  Mark stopped the game by running over to his Momma for a hug and every parent (including the opposing team's parents) cheered.  Momma had tears.  Mark said "I caught the ball, I caught the ball, I play soccer ball!"  Music to a Momma's ears.  Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Al...le...luuuuiah!!!! THERE IS A GOD!!!  Welcome to the community my son!  You are AWESOME!