2007 Great Day of Soccer

OSSO took part in the 2007 Great Day of Soccer Tournament hosted by the SMSC. We came in second place overall. Saturday we won both games, Sunday we tied our first game and won the second. We had a great time, and Lord Epa was thrilled to get to play again.

Soccer Blues

So far Lord Epa has only missed playing in one game because of his dislocated patella. The January 13th game was canceled by our opponents. Sean did get his picture made with the team and we should get them back sometime in March. OSSO U16 is no longer undefeated, they lost their first game January 20th against Biloxi. I told Lord Epa they missed having him play. The January 27th game was also canceled by our opponents. Lord Epa now has a smaller brace and he is going to soccer practice tonight to walk around some and visit with his friends. He'll start physical therapy Feb 6th. Hopefully he will get the OK to play again after his visit with Dr. Hawkins on the 19th.

Forced Fundraising

Lord Epa's U16 team got their soccer pictures made today. I wasn't thrilled with the packages that were offered. I wound up paying more money then I wanted and I had to get some junk I didn't want in order to get the two things I did want a 5X7 individual and a group photo. Why don't they allow you to pick just a 5x7 group and a 5x7 individual and pay less money? That's all I wanted. To top it off they had an announcement that part of the purchase price would go to OSSO. I don't know about you but I really resent having to pay more for pictures in order to support OSSO. Why not give parents the choice of donating money to OSSO instead of forcing them too if they want pictures? At the very least I would have felt better about it if I could have just purchased the two photos I wanted instead of having to pay for extra junk I didn't want on top of the contribution that went to OSSO.

The pictures are suppose to be back sometime in March.

Soccer Mishaps

Lord Epa displaced his patella at soccer practice Thursday. They had to call an ambulance to take him to the ER. I was very impressed with the EM-T's and the hospital staff at Ocean Springs hospital. They did their best to make sure Lord Epa was comfortable and to explain what they were going to do to him.

Today Lord Epa's soccer team is suppose to have pictures made. I don't know how that is going to work out with him on crutches. This post was suppose to be about how aggravating it was to have to drive to the fields at 2PM to have Sean's picture made, then come home only to drive back to the soccer fields in time to be there for a 7PM game. I guess nobody bothered to tell whoever scheduled the pictures that they are suppose to schedule them to be taken an hour before the game so that parents don't have to make two trips. For those of us who live 30 minutes from the field it's darn inconvenient to have to drive back and forth.

So far the OSSO U16 team is still undefeated.

Game Schedule

1. January 13th at 7PM (OSSO Fields), pictures at 2PM -Lord Epa will be unable to play in this game for sure. Game canceled by D'Iberville.
2. January 20th at 3PM (Biloxi Fields).
3. January 27th at 6PM (OSSO Fields).
4. February 3rd at 6PM (OSSO Fields).
5. February 10th at 5PM (Biloxi Fields)

Jackson County may go green in paving

Jackson County supervisors are considering some innovation and environmental thinking when dealing with a big paving issue, parking for the county soccer complex in west Gautier. Supervisor Frank Leach reminded the Board of Supervisors last week of the desperate need for a parking lot at the often-crowded complex. Speaking as a soccer dad who uses it, he said he's lucky because one of the family vehicles is rugged enough to park in a ditch.

I hope they get around to this soon. Luckily Sean's soccer team has only had one "home" game, but I wound up parking in a ditch the week before at practice. And my car isn't really rugged enough to park in a ditch.

We Won

OSSO U16 Undefeated!

Which isn't as impressive as it sounds. This is only our third game of the season. The Turkey Shootout fell through because the other U16 teams ended their season before Thanksgiving like we used to do in the good ole days before Brian Parton became President of OSSO and created the stupid soccer schedule OSSO now uses. The one where we start after East Central, George County, and Laurel Jones have ended their season for the holidays. The one where we are playing soccer games when I would rather be doing Christmas stuff and the one where the U16 doesn't have anyone to play except D'Iberville. I am ticked. I paid the same amount of money as the parents for the younger kids did, but while they have played at least 8+ games we have only played a measly three (and the first two were against OSSO's U14 teams), and it doesn't look like it is going to change until Spring when the other leagues start back up.

We'll be playing D'Iberville's U16 team again Friday (game #4). Considering we beat them 7-1 it'll probably be a grudge match and we will playing D'Iberville's U19 team Saturday (game #5), but after that we don't have any games scheduled until spring. This schedule S**** big time, and all because OSSO couldn't be bothered to start when East Central & George County did. As a former scheduler who always got 8+ games for the U14 and the U16's fall season, I do know what I am talking about.

Late Start to OSSO Season Causes Problems Finding Leagues to Play

As a homeschooler I rely heavily on the recreational leagues for my son to have a chance to play sports. This makes OSSO's treatment of the U16 team especially frustrating and irritating for me.

First off I do want to say that I think Sean has a terrific coach and assistant coach. This post should in no way reflect unfavorably on them; as they have no control over the decisions the OSSO Board makes.

The U16 team still doesn't have uniforms, although the other OSSO divisions got theirs over two weeks ago.

The U16 team has yet to play a game and still doesn't have a schedule even though the other divisions have been playing for weeks. Part of the problem is Brian Parton's refusal to start when the other leagues we normally play in the fall do. East Central and George County will be ending their fall season November 4th. We on the other hand are just starting ours.

Honestly I don't see how we are going to get the 8 games in the fall & 8 games in the spring we are suppose to get and that the other divisions will get. I am going to take a wait and see attitude, but it looks like once again Brian Parton and the OSSO Board could care less about providing the U16 with a quality experience although they were happy enough to take our money. The Vice President is doing her best to schedule games for the U14 & U16 teams, but with OSSO starting after the other leagues that normally play in the fall she is going to have a needlessly tough job. The whole problem of not having anyone to play could have been avoided by OSSO starting at the same time as East Central & George County as we have done in the past.