Soccer season offers escape from daily grind

This is one of my favorite times of year.

Sure, part of it is the weather, with the (generally) cooler temperatures, that will soon give way to the clear crisp days of autumn. And part of it is the various rituals associated with this time of year, things like the return to school, the start of college football and the holidays of the season, beginning with Halloween, with Thanksgiving and Christmas not too far down the road.

But for me, the best thing about this part of the year is that it’s soccer season.

This is the third year our kids have played soccer in Blytheville. The season got off to its official start Sunday afternoon — a day late thanks to Saturday morning’s rain showers — but it was a rousing start nonetheless.

It took only one afternoon for me to remember what it is about the soccer season I like so much. Part of it is the game — the sight of kids in their brightly colored jerseys running up and down the field, scoring goals, battling for possession, making defensive stops.

But it’s more than that. Between helping the U6 games get started, to coaching my daughter’s U10 team, to cheering for my son’s U8 team, I spent the better part of five hours on the soccer fields Sunday afternoon. And for the entire time, all I had to think about was soccer. The various trials and tribulations of the “real world” were swept away, and all that was left was the pure joy of a simple game.

For example, here are some of the things you DON’T think about while watching a youth soccer game:

— The financial meltdown on Wall Street.

— Barack Obama’s foreign policy credentials.

— The impending closure of the Blytheville Starbucks.

— The drug problem.

— Electric bills.

— That pile of dishes in the kitchen sink.

— Sarah Palin’s experience.

— The need for tighter code enforcement in Blytheville.

— Plans for an Arkansas state lottery.

— That customer who called you last week with an irrational complaint.

— The price of gasoline.

— All those spam e-mails that are so hard to get rid of.

— Where Osama bin Laden is.

— The controversy over Mississippi County jail fees.

— John's McCain's grasp of economic issues.

— The grass that needs mowing and the weeds that need killing.

— Property taxes.

— The latest wave of school violence.

— The St. Louis Cardinals and their late-season fade.

— Iran's quest to obtain nuclear weapons.

— That weird sound your car is making.

— The proper role of the federal government in the fight against skyrocketing health care costs.

In other words, soccer pretty much strips you down to the basics. When watching a youth soccer game, your thoughts are pretty much confined to "Get the ball!" “Kick it!” and “No! Kick it THAT way!” Indeed, it’s a great escape.

For those who might be wondering, youth soccer games are played every Saturday morning on a set of soccer fields located on the north side of the Blytheville Youth Sportsplex. The league is operated by the Blytheville Area Soccer Association, which, in the name of full disclosure, I should note I am a part of. Games begin at 9 a.m. and last through noon.

If you’re looking for something to do Saturday morning, I urge you come out and watch. There’s a stocked concession stand on premises, and with hundreds of kids ages 4-14 running around after a little white ball, there is plenty to see, and you won’t be disappointed. It’s one of those things that will make you feel good about where you live.

Besides, we all need a little escape every now and then.