I was the most reluctant soccer mum, so I didn't expect what happened

"It was a bit of a big deal for me as I’m hearing impaired and usually shy away from this sort of thing," mum-of-two Lana writes for Kidspot.

Image: supplied

"Go The Bandicoots," my big boy quips from the bathroom. He's brushing his teeth.

"Go The Bandicoots," I chant back from the kitchen, shoving snacks into a backpack.

My youngest is sitting on the floor, tying his soccer boots. "Go The Bandicoots," my husband whispers in his ear, ruffling his blond locks.

The excitement felt on Saturday mornings in our house now is something I never anticipated. Never in a million years. Yet here we are, and I'm so loving it.

Growing up, I have memories of my parents taking us away camping for the weekend, not of the smell of a sausage sizzle wafting across the field. I was a dancer and my brother a surfer.

Team sports were something other kids did.

Want to join the family? Sign up to our Kidspot newsletter for more stories like this.

RELATED: We let our tweens choose their high school

"There go our weekends"

When our seven-year-old informed us that joining a soccer team would make all his childhood dreams come true, though, I flashed my partner a weak smile.

There goes our weekends, I thought, as I pictured scrambling for a park at various playing locations. That and masking big time to the other parents that we knew or even cared about the game.

But we couldn’t deny our boy, so we talked about how maybe we could tag-team weekend soccer, being the parental chore that we assumed it would become. And also, not drag our other kid who isn’t into playing a team sport, along. I mean, we got it.

And then... after I drew the short straw for the first game and spent most of it chatting to another clueless soccer mum, I came home and told my husband it was, "Actually kinda fun."

I’d enjoyed the atmosphere, even though I hadn’t really taken part in it. But more importantly, our little guy had a blast. I was filled with bubbling mum-happiness for him.

So the next weekend his dad and brother came along, too, to show their support.

Well, this was also the day we discovered our ball-obsessed boy is a speedy, tactical little bulldog and an absolute joy to watch play. We quickly learnt the names of the other players, and before we knew it, we were cheering them on, too. 

We were hooked.

Image: supplied

RELATED: My Fitbit was scaring away the soccer mums

"I jump up and down and holler"

Nowadays my heart rate rises each time a Bandicoot gets the ball and sends it down the field, or snakes it off the opposition in a sudden game change. Then I jump up and down and holler things I never thought I would like, “Get it off him, big kick, c’mon …. yeah!!!!”

At half time my hubby gives our son ‘advice’ such as, “Buddy, you are doing great, just imagine the other team has destroyed your Minecraft theme park you've built and you're really, really mad at them.”

As for my other boy, he enjoys the whole soccer experience, too - but on his own terms.

He sits away from the crazy, screaming parents with his stormtrooper figurine for company. The last few games though, he’s latched on to another non-playing sibling and the boys have been climbing trees.

At some point he goes to the canteen and buys himself a Powerade - all that spectating takes it out of him. Then, after soccer, we take him and his sweaty little brother to the skatepark - his favourite thing to do.

"I even volunteered in the canteen"

So we never did the tag team thing. Instead, Saturday mornings in our house is all, “Go The Bandicoots,” as we find shin pads, scooters and Lego Star Wars guys.

Last week I also volunteered in the canteen, graduating me to ‘bone fide soccer mum’.

It was a bit of a big deal for me as I’m hearing impaired and usually shy away from this sort of thing. But they were desperate for volunteers. So I offered to cook sausages, rather than take orders, where I’d likely mishear and get them wrong.

I felt included, useful and like my son, part of a ‘team’.

So it turns out kid-soccer isn’t just for the players. It’s for the whole family, and for many, this also includes the dog. As my veteran soccer-mum friend pointed out to me, "The field is where you meet your community, make friends and grab an easy BBQ lunch."

Oh and so far The Bandicoots have lost every match, but it doesn’t matter who wins. They are so cute and it’s just a whole lotta fun to watch, especially for these surprise soccer fans.

Go The Bandicoots!

Originally published as I was the most reluctant soccer mum, so I didn't expect what happened