Really need to try and post once a day here for the next two weeks to catch up!
Wiley Update #4: It’s been a slow climb towards recovery and I’m still not convinced we’ll ever get there. But…..
(the Selfie King)
1) We’ve dialed the medicine back to one steroid pill and one pain pill a day. We had tried, a week or two ago, to dial down the steroids to two every other day but couldn’t maintain it…by the end of the second day he was in a bad way.
2) He struggles to his feet and is much more mobile day by day; has gone back to the old habit of going into the backyard to do his business. But, it is a struggle to walk around the yard to get back to the front yard…..his gait turns into bunny-rabbit-style….can’t seem to put pressure consistently on that left leg. Can go down the stairs to the basement; that’s been a pain in the ass because he certainly can’t do more than one step at a time and so has to be escorted around the house to get back to the front yard and the main level. He’s attempted the two steps from the garage into the house twice that we’ve seen…both times his back end has collapsed out from under him.
3) Going to the vet Friday. We’ll see…..
Soccer Camp: Last year we sent Matthew to soccer camp up in Alma. The camp was run by the ( T ) coach and he did a nice job for what he wanted to do…bring in HS girls to look at for college recruiting. We thought it was pretty crappy if you were a boy since there were less than ten of you and you weren’t going to get much out of it. Reports from that camp this year say that things haven’t changed much.
So this year, we decided to try the camp at Hope College. It was more expensive, but, it’s longer, and has the repetition of having a lot more kids. And that was correct….Matthew is playing on a team with 15 kids and there are 6 other teams!
Highlights: Well, Mom and Dad drove out on Monday to watch the scrimmages and Dad was there Wednesday and Mom and Dad on Thursday to watch the playoffs. Matthew’s team won the championship and the boy had a big week, 2 goals and 8 assists in 7 games.
(in the middle, in the red)
There was not one game that we observed that Matthew did not dominate the middle of the field in…..and he looked for his friends who came to the camp and got them the ball for a bunch of assists. Just carved the other team up. He’s been really working on soccer this summer and I hope it shows up in the next few weeks as the season begins.
In the final they won 3-1; Matthew had the first assist and the last assist, this one off of a perfectly placed corner kick. So, on the soccer front, he had a great time and enjoyed the environment and competition. A huge improvement on Alma. Got a great evaluation at the end of it with something he can take forward and really work on; switching the ball (asked him why they think he didn’t switch the ball in his games and he said ‘because the opportunities were all on my side of the field”). Ok…..we’ve talked a bunch about trying to ‘over’ switch the ball for a while until he feels more comfortable with it…if he isn’t.
The bad? The boys were allowed to take electronic devices….and while this was good during rain delays it was bad because it enabled a huge case of homesickness that all of Matthew’s friends noticed. Lesson learned; if he takes the phone again it only comes out at lights out.
He’ll be heading back next year; Matthew really had a lot of fun
Coming Attractions:
Spring Hill 2014 (boys)
Seasonal Support Associate (Kevin))
Las Vegas (Mom and Dad)
The sad tale of Ryan (boys)
Orientation (Kevin and Dad)
Kayaking (Dad and the boys)
Football Camp and Operation Fitness (the boys)
Lansing United (the season)
From The Sports Desk – Rush Kickoff Classic (that will happen this weekend)
From the Sports Desk – ( C ) Friendlies (two weekends away!)
Job, or lack thereof, Update
Sports Politics Update – I’ve volunteered to be on the youth football Board….and some discussion of the current soccer politics is probably worthwhile
