When I was in my 20s, I saw those “soccer moms” at the park and I heard their (in my opinion) horrific stories about travel soccer.
They spent their free time driving hours and hours out of town staying in motels with groups of parents they really didn’t know, all to support their kid playing soccer. I rolled my eyes at them.
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I thought, “I don’t see my ‘real friends’ enough -- there is no way I’m going to spend my free time and money with strangers taking my child to soccer games.’”
Fast forward 20 years and look at me now. I am a soccer mom and, seriously, I LOVE it. As I share my “soccer mom” stories with some younger people in the newsroom I see their eyes roll and sometimes glaze over -- I know what they are thinking.
That’s when I say, “wait a second. That was me years ago.”
Now, listen, being a soccer mom (or dad) can really be super cool! It’s crazy to think of the friendships and the funny times we have shared. Whether it be a soccer tournament near Cedar Point or near Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. We always seem to find fun and laugh.
These soccer parents share an unspoken language that gets us through rainy cold games, gives us the patience to deal with silly soccer girls running around the hotel ding dong ditching each other during those travel soccer tournaments, and allows us the enjoy those moments as we watch our children succeed on the field.
By no means do I expect my child to be playing soccer in college -- that’s not why I spend so much time traveling to games.
I do this because I see the joy in their faces when they play, I see the self confidence build as they grow with not only their skills but also building new friendships. And I have seen how soccer has helped them push themselves.
Being a “soccer mom” is a part of me and I wouldn’t change it for the world.
As I write this I look ahead at my weekend. A soccer game in Canton, another in Wixom, and a 90-minute practice in Rochester Hills. I have a busy weekend ahead and Iove it!