It's Fall Sports, er, Autumn Time!

How well I remember the days when we had five kids playing fall soccer games on three different fields! With the help of useful grandparents, we managed. Now I'm the not-so-useful grandparent who shows up to cheer on the valiant efforts of four kids playing on four different fields at overlapping times. (Note #5 below, poised to take the ball.)

Some of our grandchildren play too far away for us to see them in action. One grandson is on his high school's freshman football team in Oregon. He plays offense, defense, and special teams (the point-after kicker). I wonder if that's related to the fact that his dad is coaching? Hmmm...

In southern Utah, two grandsons are playing on both sides of the ball--the football, that is. So far, they've both been involved in valiant losing efforts. We're scheduled to go see them play in a couple of weeks. Perhaps our being there will do the trick? We hope so.

We recently had the opportunity to watch a couple of our boys on the soccer field. One blondie turned ten the week before. We were there to see him blow out his birthday candles on Friday, and there to watch him dominate the field on Saturday, playing against most of the boys who attended his party. 

Though he was all over that field on both offense (first half) and defense (second), the team didn't do as well overall. Some valuable lessons can be learned from losing, too. 

There's so much to be said for kids' sports. Some advantages include healthful activity, fresh air, sportsmanship (depending, of course, on how the parents behave), the joy of winning, and learning to accept defeat. I support the concept even in my fiction, which is why Rainbow Rock, Arizona gets its own youth soccer league in my Rainbow Rock Romance series. The children of my imaginary friends need comaraderie, fresh air, and an active lifestyle too.

I expect many more proud grandma moments, and some triumphs and defeats for the fictional children as well. After all, it's autumn and time for kids' fall sports. 

Susan Aylworth is the author of more than 20 novels. Her newest book is Kisses and Kittens in Christmas Town, Book 3 in the Christmas Town series. Over the Rainbow, a prequel to the Rainbow Rock Romances, is available free to everyone who subscribes to her newsletter on her website: susanaylworthauthor.com. Contact her on her Facebook author page or via susan.aylworth.author@gmail.com or join her on Twitter @Susan Aylworth.