Why I Love Being a Soccer Mom

Soccer has been in my blood and in my heart since I was a kid. I played, my brother played, my best friends played and everyone in my family is a huge fan.

There is something so uniquely phenomenal about soccer and either you get it, or you don’t. And for those of us who do, it’s like our own little Harry Potter universe full of our own language, mystical spells and magic.

It was so amazing to see the show, Ted Lasso, become popular on TV and it just won a handful of Emmy’s, including the best comedy series.

Some of the best quotes I’ve ever heard are from Ted Lasso. “Believe”, “Don’t you dare settle for fine” and the best quote ever, “Fútbol is life”.

It really is.

Some critics have said things about the show like it’s a ridiculous premise that they would hire an American football coach to move to England to coach soccer, a sport he’s never coached before.

Other pundits like to point out inaccuracies on the pitch, but true fans will tell you, Ted Lasso isn’t even really about soccer.

Soccer is what brings it all together, but it’s really about relationships. It’s about starting over and believing in yourself and friendship and camaraderie and having each other’s backs, no matter what.

From a young age, all of my kids tried soccer. Although my girls are no longer into it, Jack took it on tenfold. He eats, breathes and lives soccer.

He knows every player on every Premier League team, every stat from the 2018 World Cup and hasn’t missed a Liverpool game in years.

Jack’s best friends are from his soccer team and some of my closest friends happen to be their moms.

Now we are those moms that never miss a game.

There are very few things that bring me more joy than being on the sidelines watching Jack play soccer.

It’s like everything good about my life in one amazing setting. It’s fall and the weather is perfect, I’m watching my son do his favorite thing, I’m with some of my best friends, and we’re cheering on our boys, who we love like our own.

This past May, Jack’s travel team played in a Memorial Day Hershey Park Tournament. After two awesome wins, a group of us went to a local bar to watch the Champions League Final. It was Real Madrid vs. Liverpool.

One my way to the game, my sister asked me who I’d be rooting for and I said, “Well, it’s not an easy decision, but I love Jack more than I love Spain.”

It was a great game, but sadly Liverpool lost. I knew Jack would be upset, but I was surprised when I looked over and saw that he was crying.

Then one of the most touching moments I’ve ever witnessed occurred. His teammates, Luke and Emilio went over to Jack to console him in a three way hug. They just held him and let him cry. No mocking, no words, no tough guy stuff that we had just witnessed on the field.

Just compassion and grace for their friend. It was a priceless moment and it brought me to tears to see so much trust and love amongst them.

In a nutshell, that’s soccer.

Just this past Saturday night, I had some of those same soccer parents over for pizza and wine. We talked about soccer (of course), travel, food, about our older daughters in college, life. 

Soccer and our boys brought us together and I’m forever grateful for the 90 minute game that has made my life better in more ways than one.

Our shared love of the game connects us like pieces of a puzzle.

The World Cup starts in about 2 months. The countdown has almost started. We are already planning which days we’ll get up at 5am (all of them) and which days we’ll have viewing parties (many of them). 

I’ve seen our boys elated after an amazing win and in tears after a tough loss. It’s really hard to see your kid lose a game they pour their blood, sweat and tears into.

As my dad always said, “It’s the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.”

I’m here for all of it and so incredibly grateful for the many ways soccer has made my life richer.

I am, and will forever be, a proud soccer mom.