A timeline of my unique path in soccer
Let’s take a little break from soccer advice. I want to list out and share my unique path in soccer I took from start to finish. There is already an About Me post, but let’s go a little further. Whether you’re a pro or an amateur, we all have a story and a timeline. It’s a path that helped shape us as people because of the experiences we had. It’s important not to forget where you came from. Here we go!
Age 5-9: Recreational Leagues (Syracuse, NY)
I played my first ever soccer game in a local recreational league. This was in the late 80’s (I’m getting old, I know). I remember the exact field I played on when I was 5 too. Before and after the games, I would run over to the giant monster truck tires that were half buried in the sand and play around. I recall halftime snacks and always playing left wing.
Ages 8 and 9 I played with a friend of mine whose dad knew the game. The league would have the coaches do a little post game write up and my mom of course saved the clippings in my ”scrap book”. Remember those? I tally’d up one eight game season and I counted 36 goals.
Age 10-11: Recreational League (Baldwinsville, NY)
I moved to Baldwinsville when I was 7, but there was no recreational league. It’s a small city about 10 miles north of Syracuse. Not far from where I previously lived. The city with the help of local soccer enthusiasts created the Baldwinsville Youth Soccer Association. I’d spend the next two years playing there. My team had the honor of playing at halftime of a Syracuse University Men’s Soccer game. I wanted to play goalie for that 15 minutes, so I did!
Age 12: Travel Team (Baldwinsville, NY)
My first opportunity to play against some stiffer competition was with this local travel team. We’d play against other teams from around the Syracuse area. I was one of two players that was a year and two younger than my other teammates.
Age 13: Travel Team (Syracuse Area)
My parents started to realize I was pretty good. They didn’t know much, but I had success on the travel team I played on a year prior. So, I joined another travel team with other players my age who were considered pretty good. It was just a step up from a season ago.
Age 14-15: Club Team (Syracuse Area)
By now, I was clearly established as a soccer player. I proved that to my parents as I didn’t want to play anything else and constantly scanned through Soccer.com. I finally joined a real competitive and highly respected club team that two Chilean brothers started called Syracuse Blitz FC. In my age group, there was an A team and a B team. I was chosen for the B team. For these two years, I made awesome friendships while beginning to travel outside of the Syracuse area and even across state lines for tournaments. It was the best.
Age 16-18: The “A” Club Team (Western NY Area)
I found my way onto the “A” team. This was a big adjustment. Really, the first time I noticed a big difference in the level of play. There were players from Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, and Albany on our team. All were considered standout players. I didn’t play much at first to be honest. I didn’t start many games for the first year either, but we played a ton. There were outdoor leagues, indoor leagues, outdoor tournaments, and tons of indoor holiday tournaments.
Little did we know all of the indoor soccer proved to be a major advantage versus teams in the south that didn’t. The speed of play was fast and our skills were good!
At age 18, our team was at a really high level and we proved that as we made our way to the National Championship of US Youth Soccer.
Age 19-22: College
I was recruited by colleges and chose Niagara University. It was a Division 1 program about 3 hours from home. I liked the idea that my parents could drive and watch my games. I played all four years. It’s hard and takes a lot of dedication. I was 19 playing against 22 year olds. It’s accurate when you use the phrase ”Men playing against boys”. I was the boy for the first year. Soccer is all I knew so I didn’t think twice about it. I adjusted to the level of play and had a successful four year career.
To bring it full circle, I played against Syracuse on the same field that I played goalie for on my recreational team during halftime.
Age 21-24: Semi Pro (Dallas, TX)
I visited my brother one summer during college and we found a semi pro team that played their season during the summer months when school was out. It was a non-paying league so college athletes wouldn’t lose eligibility. I made the team the first time I try’d out and spend the next two summers living on my brothers couch in his apartment. I would drive back to NY when school started back up.
This league was great! I travelled to cities like El Paso, Laredo, New Orleans, Memphis, and Nashville playing with and against the best college players in America. Some went pro, but not me.
My unique path in soccer is coming to an end:
My competitive playing days were coming to an end where I realized that I was good, but not quite good enough to make it to the next level. You know what? That was OK.
From age 5 to 24, I played the game I love and spent an entire life trying to be the best player I could be.
It wasn’t until I was about 14 that I realized all the hours I practiced by myself in the back yard would pay dividends. I loved to play so whatever the weather was, it didn’t matter. I was out there playing and practicing on my own. All of those touches added up and ultimately led me to the best experiences ever.
My advice to you:
If you love a sport, keep playing it. It doesn’t always have to be in a competitive environment. Sometimes the back yard is just fine because there’s no stress. The touches still add up. Whether you’re a parent or a player, just climb the appropriate ladder. Be honest with yourself or your kids on where they are at developmentally. There’s no magic formula, right way, or wrong way. Enjoy the game for what it is because you’ll live more in the moment.
Create your own “my unique path in soccer”.
