On Soccer

Boys,

By the time you read this, you’ll know that soccer isn’t my main squeeze when it comes to sports. I played a few years when I was a little older than you, Reagan, but my bag was always baseball, golf, and (watching) football. That said, when push came to shove, I did take up being Reagan’s soccer coach this past season. I even named a folder in my email “Ted Lasso” where I filtered each week’s practice suggestions, game times, and occasional messages from parents letting me know they weren’t going to be there because of <insert vacation plans, sickness, preference to avoid the heat, etc. here>.

Around the same time you, Reagan, were playing your 2nd year of soccer, you also got more interested in golf, which is a good thing because you and Nash’s soccer skills were about as solid as a bowl of soup. Let me put it this way — Nash’s 2yo sister came in and played some games while you and Nash sat on the sideline, and I think our team got a little better each time it happened.

Hey man, I’m just a tree on a cloudy day — no shade.

So there’s that. Then, two weeks ago, Koen threw his boots onto the pitch and decided that he was going to try his hand — er, foot — at soccer. Week one was outdoors at New Hope, Reagan’s old pre-school, and it did not go as well as planned. Now, Koen, I’m not going to put it all on you. I mean, who schedules a 3yo soccer session next to a playground?!? As soon as you caught wind that Reagan and Nash were playing over there, you decided soccer was done and it was a blitzkrieg to the fence to try and figure out how to get in on THAT action.

Before that, which BTW ended with me football-carrying you to the car while I screamed at Reagan to “get your stuff and we’re going home!” Nash’s mom video’d this for evidence’s sake and probably to, at least in my mind, rewatch with a glass of wine and say “look at this, Troy, it could be worse.” I also got a little head nod from a dad in the passenger side of a minivan acknowledging “we’ve all been there, brother.” When a guy… in the passenger seat of a minivan… has to empathize with you, well, that is when rock bottom is within reach.

Anyway, let’s just chalk that one up to a D- effort and move on, shall we?

But then, as if out of nowhere, last night happened. Outdoor soccer was moved indoors due to a wildfire in Canada (if this was presented to me when I was younger, it would have made no sense but these days it makes sense). You were a little hesitant early on, but came through in the end. You ran down the turf like a cheetah. You side-stepped down the field like a crab. You did your best bird, dinosaur, and whatever other animals you were supposed to pretend to be just like the coach asked you to do. Are we playing soccer or are we just wearing kids out? Who knows. But you did SO SO good, and aside from a little “my do it” issues with the doors and leaving, you did an awesome job, Koen. I was very proud of you.

So, I don’t know if the Premier League or Champions League or MLS or whoever caught wind of it yet, but I’d say you are well on your way to soccer glory. And, if nothing else, I’ll choose to follow Ted Lasso’s mantra and just “BELIEVE.”

Love you, boys.

Dad