From the Sideline to the Sole: A Father’s Support in Soccer Tryouts

My son is starting his off-season soccer sessions for school this week, a crucial precursor to the official tryouts for the JV and varsity teams. The final team decisions are slated for November. I had plans to buy him new cleats, but life interfered, as it often does. So, he's going back onto the field in the same boots he wore during his injury last year. As a makeshift solution, I gave those boots a good scrub, conditioned them with coconut oil (since mink oil was out of stock), and slipped a note of encouragement into each one.

This act was more for my emotional well-being than for his immediate benefit. Life and soccer share the characteristic of unpredictability; both are games of chance and skill. He might make the cut for the team, rise to stardom, or perhaps decide that soccer isn't his passion this year. The outcomes are as varied as they are uncertain.

However, I find comfort in the small things I can control, like taking the time to prep his old cleats and leaving a little handwritten encouragement for him to find. As he navigates through this chapter of his life, I hope he looks back and remembers these small acts. I want him to know that I was his biggest fan, meticulously prepping his gear and rooting for his success, even when the lights were out and he was fast asleep.