[Kate_Adams]

I've been coaching my 6 year old son's soccer team this Northern fall.  On
Tuesdays they have what is called "Play Soccer", with practices run by a
company which brings in young guys from overseas to do a basic skills
program.

We have had pretty much the same three guys all fall - they asked the kids
to nick name them something silly and are heretofore known as Barbie Doll,
Chicken Nose, and Diaper Head.  This particular trio was Irish, but last
spring's group was a mix of British Midlands and Aussie.

Diaper Head wasn't there last night, and his substitute introduced himself
as "Jonesey".  From the accent I would have guessed he was an Aussie,
although we don't usually see those guys until spring.  He was a bit older
than typical for the program, so he may have been a supervisor and he acted
like a leader.  Anyway, Jonesey wanders around introducing himself to the
coaches before the session, kids and parents and coaches bopping balls about
the pitch everywhere.  Around the time he came to talk with my assistant and
myself, my son Ian wandered by him dribbling the ball and repetitively
singing "Come and see the real thing, come and see the real thing,..." as he
slalomed through some cones. We had just been listening to the CD (THANKS
JILL!), and Ian had had me play that cut at least three times.

Jonesey startled and tracked Ian as he weaved by him, and his jaw dropped
far enough down to play goal.  He trots over, and asks me about it.  I
shrug, and tell him that Ian is my son and we were just listening to the
Oils version on CD.  (this is the kid who wrote "Fibbromoon" as his
"favorite music" at age 4). Now Jonesey's really surrealized, as I reply
with a US accent. (Jokes about post election relocation aside ...) He didn't
know Americans were on to the Oils anymore.

I didn't have time to find out how big a fan he is (it could simply have
been awareness of the material), but I think he knew that he had just run
into one of those fanatical US Oils followers that he may have heard about.
I thought it was pretty funny to think about what his report home will be -
"this little six-year-old Yank was kicking the ball around some pylons and
you won't believe what he was singing".

kPa

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It's about time ... It's about space!
-X
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Kate Parker Adams
University of Massachusetts - Lowell
Department of Work Environment
Kitson 202A
Kate_Adams at uml.edu
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