How did I become a "Soccer Dad?"

Fall in Indiana use to mean football...but for this Hoosier dad, it's all about Soccer.  My oldest, Eli just finished up baseball.  Second place in the championship, I was proud of our team.  But just a week after we hung up the mitt and bat, we got the shin guards and cleats out for the season.

When I was a kid, I saw a few soccer balls on TV.  Daniel, the Karate Kid, did some good tricks kicking it up in the air, but that was about it.  Even when I was in high school, we didn't have a team until my Senior year.  And even then, it was co-ed.

But last summer when we asked our son if he wanted to play soccer, he was super excited.  The first practice he was so comfortable.  He got the nickname "Thunder Foot."  An I started to really get into it.

Now in the league he played in, they "didn't keep score".  But parents certainly kept score.  He did really well, and loved playing.

This year he is moving up a division, and I am excited to see him progress.

Never thought I would get excited about Soccer...but this Soccer dad has his bag chair in the back of the jeep, and I am ready to cheer on my little guy in soccer!

Just trying to help...It's what I do...

So we all get those scam calls on our cell phones.

"You qualify for the government to give you three million dollars!"

"A rich lady in South Africa wants to send you a bazillion dollars, all we need is your social security number!"

Most of the time you just hang up...not be!  I love life.

So earlier today my phone rings "unknown"...Yep, I answered it.  A man, with a thick Muslim accent, obviously in a call center comes on the line.  His name is Charles Sampson, (yeah right!)

"Hello sir this is Charles Sampson, and I am calling for Publisher's Clearing House.  You have heard of us, right?

Me - "Sure I have.  Is it my lucky day?"

CS - "Sir I am calling to inform you that you have won one of the prizes in our big giveaway.  Do you have a pen and a clean piece of paper?" (I am not sure why the paper had to be clean.)

Me - "Give me just a second Chuck so I can find the paper, and make sure it is clean.  Is it okay if I call you Chuck?"

CS - "That's fine sir, just let me know when you are ready to write something down."

Me - "OK, got a pen, and a piece of paper, but it's not that clean, will that be okay?"

CS - "Oh, yes, write down this number for your prize code"

Me - "Ready when you are Charlie, can I call you Charlie?"

CS - "Here is the prize code, (reads off a series of numbers and letters). Now, I am going to give you a toll free number you need to call to claim your prize."

Me - "Well Charlie, why do I need to call a separate number if I am already of the phone with you?"

CS - "Oh, sir, I just am the delivery man for the prizes, you have to call this number to claim the prize."

Me - "Chuck, if you are the delivery man, just swing it by my house....you have my address don't ya."

CS - "Oh, sir that is not the procedure"

Me - "OK Charles...let me help ya hear...if you are going to run a phone scam, you need to tighten up your game a little bit.  Too many holes in your story...Lets work on that for the next guy..."

At this point he told me to do something to my mother that I AM SURE is against their Muslim religion, and hung up on me...

See what happens when I try to help people...