Thirty Five Years of Soccer and Counting

I can’t remember NOT being around a soccer field. Some of my earliest memories involving watching my five year old brother playing in one of the country’s earliest youth soccer leagues. I thought it looked like fun, so begged my mom to sign me up as soon as I was old enough. She did, and the rest is history. I’ve been playing, coaching or parenting soccer ever since.

During my own youth career, I played at every level from recreational to elite club travel soccer to high school and finally on to college, including an appearance at a collegiate national championship. My own three boys came along shortly thereafter and I made the gradual transition from player to Soccer Mom and coach. Now that my boys are 20, 17 and 13, I’ve spent the last 15 years watching them pass through all of the opportunities youth soccer has to offer. Along the way, I’ve racked up countless hours and gas bills taking my boys to games. I’ve patched up  sprained ankles, cuts and bruises. I’ve become something of a master juggler when it comes to spending my practice downtime wisely and I know what it is like to be really cold watching a Northwest winter game.

In short, if it has to do with soccer, chances are pretty good that I’ve experienced it as either a parent, player or coach. Along the way, I’ve figured a lot out about how to get the most out of the experience. Because I was on the leading edge of the youth soccer wave in the US, and because I had my children early, I am fairly unusual in having had both a full playing career myself as well as a full soccer parenting career (U6-U18 and beyond).  I wrote Soccer for Moms to help other soccer moms have a more enjoyable, relaxed and rewarding soccer parenting experience.