Our younger son started playing soccer about a year ago, and immediately displayed something of a knack for it. His defensive play in particular compares favorably to that of the rest of his competitive league team, to the extent that we frequently see the opposing side score as soon as he is substituted out. That proficiency has come with a price, though; the coach abandons assurances to let him play other positions whenever the team falls behind.

I write this in a blog about Anthony because, although I mentioned in my last post that I don't compare him much to his siblings, I have wondered if Anthony also would do well at soccer if he were normal. I once, a few years ago, tried to have him kick a soccer ball at a park. To my surprise, he started kicking it with his instep. Most children kick initially with their toe--I still have to coach my younger son against that. Being a dad who loves sports, and hoping for anything that might engage an autistic child, I encouraged Anthony to keep kicking it. Alas, he became upset rather quickly when I tried to persuade him to continue.


I had not attempted to get Anthony to kick a ball since then, until I recently took him with me to his brother's practice. There, to keep him occupied, I passed the ball with him around the field while I simultaneously monitored the team's activity. Once again, he kicked reasonably well with his instep, and even sometimes with his outstep. But, he clearly had little comprehension of why we were doing it, and did not care for me urging him on.

Incidentally, I had taken Anthony with me so that my wife could volunteer at a school function. However, he made enough noise at practice that, even trying to keep him a distance from the action, he sometimes distracted the players. It of course didn't bother our younger son, but his teammates would stop what they were doing to look curiously. That's not what the kids need, and I might not welcome it if I were the coach. So, Anthony now stays home.