Passing On The Torch

It's official.  Gabi has the Brazilian soccer gene.

THANK YOU, GOD.

Most Brazilians have their kids playing soccer before they can walk, so Gilberto has been waiting six excruciatingly long years for his daughter to take the field and see what she's got.  We had no idea if she'd inherited his genes, which are steeped in a long tradition of soccer greatness, or mine, which are not. 

In fact, I'm pretty much a lost cause when it comes to sports.  I was kicked off the sixth grade volleyball team for continuously knocking down teammates, and shot an arrow into the gym wall during archery.  I won't even go into why I didn't make the softball or basketball teams.

Understandably, I wanted Gabi to be a bit older, and more sure on her feet, before participating in a contact sport.  Knowing about my tendency to trip on air, Gilberto agreed.  I am happy to say, though, that Gabi played her very first game today and ROCKED IT. 

As goalie she kept the other team from scoring, and as forward she scored all three of her team's goals!  Not even a minute after the game had ended, Gilberto was on the phone with his family in Brazil, passing on the great news.  They've been on Soccer Alert ever since I popped Gabi out, and based on the screams I heard coming from the other end, they are just as excited as Gilberto.

The man is seriously bursting with pride.

What I haven't told him is that besides being terrible at sports, I also have a terrible case of beginner's luck.  That arrow that I shot into the gym wall?  Was after my very first shot struck a bull's eye.  We'll have to wait until next Saturday to see if she's inherited my genes after all.