Avoiding the Drop

It’s not for the money, so there has to be a good reason why four (now six) otherwise sane and productive individuals with grown-up responsibilities and jobs decided to devote a good portion of their free time to starting a website dedicated to a game that many in the U.S. badmouth even as they drive their progeny to a Saturday morning rec. league game.

So how did I get here?

Well, I came late to soccer. I grew up in heart of the Midwest where baseball, basketball, and football reigned. It wasn’t until eighth grade that I played soccer and continued to play through high school. This was the early 80′s and there may have been some soccer on TV, late at night, if you had cable. We didn’t. The only professional match I saw before the 1994 World Cup was when the Chicago Sting came to a local arena and played indoor soccer against somebody. I think I might still have the free black/yellow soccer ball pattern baseball caps they gave away that night.

Once I got to college, studies and the fact that I was only an average player, meant I didn’t play that much.  In the spring of 1990, I coached one season of Junior Varsity girls’ soccer for a small town high school. Then Vegas called and offered me a job and I moved out West.

I got married in 1993 and the World Cup came to the US in 1994 and was on TV. I watched nearly every match. I bought my first team shirt. A still very sweet looking USA,  short-sleeved away “denim” top.  I had two daughters by the 1998 World Cup. Watched all the games again, bought the French home shirt (on-line!!! and before they won).

By 2002, I had another daughter and a son, and my favorite World Cup to date. There were five families in our cul-de-sac, all with young kids, and that year all of us dads would get up early and go to someone’s house and have breakfast and watch the games. And for the knock-out stages we would gather at the local tavern before work and eat the $1.99 Vegas special breakfast while cheering on the USA. All of us have left the cul-de-sac for other places, but us dads still keep in touch and think that the World Cup experience is a part of why.

The 2006 World Cup came, and I watched. During all this time, none of my daughters wanted to do anything but dance or gymnastics. But that all changed in the fall of 2006 when my wife signed up Zeke for a soccer team, and volunteered me to coach. Aside from marrying me (I still scratch my head over that one…) she has always shown shrewd judgment and wisdom. This would prove to be her second lapse (still not too bad for 15 years.). Zeke loved the game. I loved coaching him and his friends.  Things have never been the same.

Our lives are now full of kids, dance, gymnastics, and soccer. All of which have influenced each other in great ways. Zeke and I have travelled to SoCal the last three years to the see USMNT play their annual January friendly, we watched Chelsea v. Inter last summer at the Rose Bowl, and we hope that the UNLV Men’s Soccer program survives budget cuts this year so we can continue to be season ticket holders for that. Finally, I am back to playing in a co-ed outdoor league sponsored by Zeke’s youth league.

The Obligatory: Here Are My Teams Section

Internationally, I support the US and the Netherlands. The US for obvious reasons. The Dutch because I really dig their style of play and the orange kit just can’t be beat.

In the EPL, I cheer for Tottenham (which is how I found Avoiding the Drop). There’s a neat story as to why Tottenham, but this seems to be going kind of long.

My MLS team is Houston Dynamo. I like orange, what can I say. Plus, former UNLV player Danny Cruz  got drafted and so there is a bit of a personal connection there.

And finally, in the Mexican league, I am a Pumas fan. The schools where I have worked the last 20 years have all had high Mexican populations, and so I needed a team to talk to the kids about. Chivas and Club America  seemed like the Yankees  and Red Sox of Mexican soccer (I am a Cubs fan) so I looked around and found UNAM Pumas. This has been fun and makes for great lunchroom chit-chat with the students during the Mexican seasons.

As I once stated in the comments section, I have learned more than I thought possible since I’ve started visiting here about a year ago. I am grateful for that and now for the chance to “officially” share my thoughts with all of you. Thanks to TwoYellows, Mags, Fuse, and Adam for this opportunity, and thanks to you for reading this far. Enjoy!