Fourteen years ago, we signed Devin up for soccer because of a friend.
At the time, it was just something for him to try. A little swarm ball with a bunch of kids running after the ball together. We had no idea what we were getting into or how much soccer would eventually shape our lives.
If you had told me back then that soccer would become part of our family identity for the next 14 years, I probably wouldn’t have believed you.
But somehow, here we are.
And now it’s over.
Well… not completely. Devin is heading to Oklahoma Wesleyan University and will continue playing soccer there, which we are incredibly excited about. There is still more soccer ahead for him.
But this version of our soccer life is over.
No more True Potential.
No more OKC Crew.
No more Deer Creek soccer.
No more high school practices after school.
No more club practices scattered throughout the week.
No more weekends built entirely around game schedules and tournament brackets.
Things aren’t just changing. They’re really changing.
For years, every week and every weekend revolved around soccer in some way. There were hardly any free weekends. There were early mornings, late nights, weather delays, long drives, folding chairs, rain jackets, sunscreen, snacks, and endless laundry.
There were cold rainy mornings where everyone was freezing before the first game even started. There were sweltering summer tournaments where you felt exhausted before noon. There were road trips to new cities, new fields, and new teams. Expensive? Absolutely. Worth it? Completely.
Some of my favorite memories aren’t even the games themselves. They’re the in-between moments. Finding good restaurants after games. Stopping at Panera or sandwich shops between matches. Sitting in parking lots waiting for schedules to update. Watching all three kids grow up around the game.
Both siblings practically grew up on the sidelines, and now both of them play soccer too. Soccer became woven into the rhythm of our family life for so long that it’s hard to imagine what life looks like without it.
And honestly, the ending felt quieter than I expected.
The OKC Crew season never really finished. Games got rained out or canceled, and then suddenly high school soccer started. There wasn’t really a final moment. No clean ending. It just sort of faded out before we realized it was done.
High school soccer ended with the first playoff game.
Senior night came and went.
The banquet was Monday.
Graduation was Friday.
And somewhere in the middle of all of that, it finally hit me:
This is really the end.
Not the end of soccer for Devin, but the end of this chapter for us.
It’s bittersweet because every team mattered. Every coach, teammate, opponent, practice, and season helped shape him into the person he is today. I don’t have one favorite team or one favorite season because every stage had value. Every experience taught him something different.
Soccer helped teach Devin how to work hard, how to overcome obstacles, how to be resilient, how to be coachable, and how to quietly lead by example. I’ve loved watching him grow not just as a player, but as a person.
And while soccer shaped him, it shaped our family too.
It gave us years of memories, friendships, travel, conversations, and time together that I wouldn’t trade for anything.
I’m incredibly proud of Devin and excited to see what’s ahead for him at OKWU. I can’t wait to watch this next chapter unfold for him.
But I also know I’ll miss this one more than I can explain.
Fourteen years ago, we showed up for swarm ball without any idea what was ahead.
And now here we are, saying goodbye to a huge piece of our family life.
What a gift it’s been.