I recently wrote about Devin trying out for The Crew competitive soccer team and that he was chosen for the 2007/2008 group. We are certainly extremely proud of him. He’s worked hard for this and truly deserves it.
But I’m also saddened by what this means for True Potential. And it’s clear (or not so clear as I type this with tears in my eyes) how much I’ll miss this part of our lives.
Mike started coaching this team in the Fall of 2015 after moving from Arkansas (Devin played 2 years there). We went through several coaches here. Some moved their kids to Academy or other sports, and some coaches didn’t live up to our expectations.
It was a rough few seasons but we were lucky to have an amazing group of kids that stuck with us. Kids that showed true determination and grit no matter the score. Yes, I still remember those indoor games where we lost 25-0. But it didn’t phase them. It gave them something to work towards. Some kids quit. Some left the team and then came back. We brought in new faces. Many who are still here. And all were welcomed with open arms. I couldn’t ask for a better group of athletes for Devin to pay with.
And because of that determination and their desire to win and get better and their ability to play off each other and welcome new people, we became an unstoppable team. I wrote about their success in 2020 here.
We had a great year that year – we never lost a game in the Spring or the Fall seasons. This prompted us to move up and be challenged. It meant playing kids at least a year older than us, sometimes 2 depending on the schedules. And yes, it was rough for a while. We had some setbacks, to say the least. But most of the players learned so much from that. About each other and themselves. And it culminated in a fairly successful Indoor Winter 2 season. We didn’t win many games, but we held our own against some monstrous teams, some 16 (and some who I think were way older!)
Our final season was this past Spring of 2022. According to the rankings, we came in 1st. (Some scores were not entered as of June 2022, but the season has ended.) We came away with 4 wins, 1 loss, and 3 ties. Yes, only 1 loss. What a feat! Again, our 13 and 14-year-olds were playing kids that drove themselves to the games! But all of those years of hard work, some failure, and a huge amount of dedication provided for one final hurrah.
We had thought that maybe there would be an indoor summer 2 session in the works but with everyone’s schedules, that may not happen. Still, it was a wonderful send-off.
To The Parents
I want to say Thank You to the most wonderful soccer parents I’ve ever seen. Your support and love of this sport have been unwavering, and I can’t thank you enough. All of those nights listening to the coaches yell and talk too much after the games or practices was not in vain.
To The Players
I want to say How Blessed I Am to have watched all of these kids grow up, literally, before our eyes. And a special shout-out to Evan, Kash, and Chase, who stuck with us from the very beginning. It would have been easy to quit and not look back, but you didn’t. And whether you know it or not, this entire team was a huge influence on Braden. Practicing with the ‘big boys’ and seeing your skills in action made him a better player. A player that is now also looking to advance to an older age group.
I want to say How Proud I Am of all of these boys both past and present. Again, I cannot stress enough how important team sports are for young men. It’s been a privilege to watch them grow, hone in on their soccer skills, and more importantly, develop into amazing young men.
To Devin
I want to say How Proud I Am of Devin. It can’t be easy having your dad as a head coach. And though there were some tough times (arguing or crying because you were pulled out of the game) I know it has made you a stronger player. I’ll never forget all the times we’d talk about the game and analyze things that were done or what should have been done. It could have been so easy for you to take your dad’s criticism as an assault on your character but you did not (most of the time.) Instead, you rationalized what you had done and explained why and listened to him as he explained what you could do next time…to be better.
To Coach David
I want to say Thank You to coach David. It couldn’t have been easy coming into an established team but I am so glad you did. You brought even more passion to these kids and because of you, your support, and a depth of knowledge, they became better players…a better team. One of the things I’ll miss most is sitting outside after practice discussing the upcoming game or the plan for the season. I will also miss your British adjectives for things they did wrong. I mean, who says “You played like wilted lettuce!”? You, that’s who!
To Coach Mike
And finally, I want to say How Proud I Am of Coach Mike. It’s not easy being a coach. I saw that first hand. Unless you’ve done it, you don’t realize the time and effort that goes into it. Planning for games, tournaments, planning for when people are out. Moving around players when there’s an injury or trying to place people in the right positions. Dealing with parents can’t be easy either. Nor can dealing with a crowd of soccer players. I say crowd because our team grew so large near the end that it was just that – a crowd! But I am so proud of your passion for the sport, the passion you instilled in these players, and your continued support of them despite what they decide to do next.
Goodbye
All this to say that I’ll miss those frozen games at windy ESC and the blistering games in the heat in places like Yukon with this team. We’re on to new challenges. Mike has to learn to be a parent from the sidelines, not a coach on the field. We’ll have more tournaments and tons of games. And a lot of travel. But I’m excited about what’s to come for Devin, the other True Potential teammates who made the team, and The Crew.
Now let me leave you with these photos from the early years…
