A tense weekend for soccer parents

My daughter Celine wore number 266, a purple T-shirt and a white pair of shorts.

And she was killing it during the Bloomfield Hills Force soccer try outs Saturday morning. There was no doubt she was making the team “A” although she often questions me where she will play if she does not make the team.

If you are a soccer parent you know that this weekend is one of the biggest of the year.  It is sort of like mating season. A number of travel soccer teams both big and small, with big reputations and no reputations, dangle out try out schedules hoping to lure girls and boys from ages 8-18.

We are lucky. Five teams invited Celine to tryout and all guaranteed she would land a spot on the coveted “A” team. Celine has played four seasons with the Force and her asset is her speed burning down the sidelines or up the middle challenging the defense.

She lacks a blistering shot, but she became a goal scorer this season by finding openings in the defense and guiding the ball past the goalie.  She’s been a guest player with the Livonia City Soccer Club and the Hawks during winter tournaments.

We are lucky. We know she will always have a team.

For other parents it is not the case.  We sat next to parents who were nervous as all get out.

“I can’t even watch my daughter I am so nervous,” one woman told me.

Her daughter has played the last two seasons on the “B” team and wanted so badly to move up. She has had extra training, worked on her speed and endurance but never made the top club.

Often parents with “B” invitations move onto the second day of tryouts looking for a team that will bump them to the big club. If they can’t find that team then they either stay with their original team or move on.

Some kids don’t make any team after two days.  Those are the ones I feel badly for. They want to play but their dreams of playing for one of the top teams are dashed. So they move to a lesser travel team, a house team or play recreation soccer. Some flat out quit.

There is a lot of pressure on these kids. The parents have expectations. The kids have expectations and often their hopes and dreams are dashed. It is sad.

You see tears. You see people toss their equipment after learning they did not make the big club. Often they’ve put in a year of effort and only have 90 minutes to show they belong.

On Friday told Celine she could try out for one other team besides the Force on Saturday. She said she didn’t want to do it.

On Saturday morning she changed her mind and said she wanted to try out for the Hawks or Livonia. I panicked trying to find their practice times so we could dash from Force tryouts to the next.

After her tryouts Celine walked off the field with a big smile. She officially made the team. Teammates scheduled lunch and swimming to celebrate.

Celine wanted to participate.

“Are you sure,” I asked.

“Yes dad,” she said.

Friendship won out. One of her best friends on the bubble made the team and Celine wanted to celebrate with her and others.  Sometimes it is wonderful to be courted and wanted by others. But in Celine’s case there is no place like home.

I hope all these girls and boys who remain on the bubble find a home soon.