All About You FRIDAY – A Lesson From Soccer Moms

“There must be something big going on here,” the old man inquired as he walked by a large table of women dining at Harrington’s by the Bay in Traverse City, MI. “What are y’all here for?” he asked.

“Soccer,” one of the women answered.

“Ah, soccer moms!” he said with a knowing nod. “Nice t-shirt.” And with that he waved and walked on.

According to Wikipedia, a “soccer mom” generally refers to a married, middle-class, suburban woman who spends most of her time driving her kids in a mini-van to sporting events and activities. There’s nothing wrong with being a soccer mom, but his assumption couldn’t have been further from the truth.

Traverse City, MI is the host of the 2025 USASA Veterans Cup, drawing over 100 teams and 3,000 players from around the country. Serious recreational soccer athletes playing in divisions ranging from 30+ to 70+ take the field over four days of intense competition. It was the players of women’s Michigan United team sitting at that table.

I know. I was there.

This is my second Vet Cup and I’ve never kicked a ball on a Vet Cup field. Instead, I stand on the side lines. Sometimes I tape ankles. Sometimes I check alignment. Sometimes I sit on the team bench just so I really feel like a part of things. But mostly, I take photos and pace and cheer and hope nobody gets hurt. I am their number one fan.

That is a self-proclaimed title, but I wear it boldly. Because to me, these women represent far more than the broad stroke of a soccer mom. They represent a generation of women who have taught us something about work-life balance. They are professionals. They are funny. They help each other keep doing this thing they love while they raise families and face life challenges. Their kids would be shocked at how relevant they are. And they play a mean game. In the two years I’ve been honored to know many of them, these are the lessons I’ve learned:

This isn’t a team. It’s a family. Facing opponents on the field together over a decade has made them formidable in life. They don’t feel alone. Ever. On or off the field. Women understand women. We should all be on a team.
Balance is possible. They work, they run their kids around to their activities and some coach their kids teams. And they make sure they get to play too. If they get to do the thing they love, everyone is happy. We should all make sure we do the thing we love.
Once a team, always a team. Being a 40+ female athlete, sometimes life hands you curve balls. Some move away. Some take a hiatus. But when they don the uniform and step back onto the field, no matter how long its been, they just pick up where they left off. We should all practice that kind of loyalty.
They see the good in each other. One of the players said to me, “You always think of the goals you should have gotten and you rarely think of the ones you got.” I said, “That’s why you have everyone else. They’ll remind you of the ones you got.” We should remember it’s easier for us to see other people’s wins. We should remind them.
They can’t picture life without soccer. I heard another player say, “I hope I’m still out here competing when I’m 75.” I think we should all find something we love so much that we can’t picture our life without it.

Soccer moms. Maybe. Women we should admire. Always.

Here’s to a successful weekend for the Michigan United Women. Thank you for the lessons. Thank you for breaking the stereotypes. And thank you for the memories.

It’s been a long week. Don’t forget to celebrate.

Until next time…