At school, Alan had signed up a few days ago as a volunteer to read a page written in Old Spanish at the university. After a lot of practice, he was able to read his page perfectly today. We’re incredibly proud of Alan, who showed today that he really doesn’t mind being in the spotlight for a moment.

And of course, a TV crew was there as well to capture this bit of culture, and naturally the atypically blond Alan was chosen for a short interview.

Today was the day, and the start was immediately bad. In the very first minute we conceded a goal. 0-1. Ah well, I thought, Alan is starting on the bench, so we’ll see how it goes.

But then something unexpected happened: the equaliser! 1-1. Nobody saw that coming, and the whole game shifted. Slowly the match became more physical, but we held our ground. The goals kept coming: 2-1, 3-1, 3-2, 4-2, 4-3, 5-3, 5-4, and finally 6-4.

Alan also scored a beautiful goal. From midfield, high into the corner. Unstoppable. The crowd was completely caught up in the tension, and emotions were running high. The coaches and the referee even had to calm down some of the parents and family members. Well… that’s how it goes sometimes.

Alan Presley is more than ready to take the school’s Carnival celebration to the next level. One thing’s for sure, with him around, everyone will be dancing in no time.

We have been going almost every year, for nearly fourteen years now. Each time, the Sint arrives in his convertible, sometimes accompanied by a lively band, and always surrounded by plenty of Pieten. Afterward, the celebration moves indoors, where every child receives a small gift directly from the Sint, interspersed with musical performances and, of course, lots of sweet treats to nibble on.

It was fun, but we can clearly notice that the kids are getting bigger. Maybe this was the last time we visited the Sint, or maybe just one year more. We don’t know yet, but it feels like the end to this tradition is getting nearer.

We won again! A nice game with lots of goals. We can clearly see the teams are much more equal now, and that makes for much better games to watch.

Yes!, last Sunday Batan Alevín B achieved a convincing 6 – 2 victory. A welcome improvement compared to the previous phase. It was an enjoyable match that was finally rewarded with a splendid win.
The aftermatch: As you can clearly see in the photo taken after the match the players themselves were also in the mood for celebration.

The second type is a team where results matter. Here, you’re expected to show up for every match and perform well. If you don’t stand out as a player, you’re asked to go elsewhere. These teams are meant for top talent, and that’s not what we’re looking for with Alan. Today, Alan is playing against one of those professional teams.

The third type is the neighborhood team that could just as well be a wrestling club. Alan played against one of those last week. There’s little discipline and lots of pushing, pulling, and kicking.

The other team played like an oiled machine, and they won with 17 goals, but still, we had some chances and it was an enjoyable game.

Results

The next phase will start in a couple of weeks. This time the teams will be better aligned to their respective levels, and that will hopefully give us a couple of more interesting matches, with some options to win and boost moral.

When the kids go to bed, I usually follow soon after, falling asleep the moment I close my eyes. Is it all worth it? When I look at my kids when they’re happy, or working together, then it’s without a doubt worth it. But when I look at everything else, I’m not so sure. It’s not easy.