In coaching these fine young men on the soccer field, there was one unique similarity that 40 or more players shared.
This coincidental and helpful similarity would be that over the 20 coaching years shared with many hardworking players, I had the privilege of coaching at least 22 pairs of brothers. Usually the brothers were a year or four or five apart as were (sometimes) their attitudes and skills.

These soccer brothers could be paired or described in these categories: substantial difference in skills....... in hustle and attitude.......OR........some pairs ( and I remember one family had three brothers who played for me separately over a period of probably ten years).......were alike in their ability.......or their work ethic and general persona.

In skill difference, I coached about six pairs of brothers whose skill difference was noticeable...and a few pairs of brothers had some obvious gap in their work and skills. Admittedly....one pair of brothers was talented, but the older worked harder while the younger who came along five or more years later seemed to give this coach less hustle and more attitude...!!

As mentioned in a previous blog about staying in the soccer program, there were about eleven to twelve brother pairs (either one or both of the pair) who did not stay with the soccer program from middle school through their senior year...!!!

On the contrary, approximately eleven pairs of brothers who made the two years of middle school soccer had at least one brother per pair to make All District or Region in varsity play........and to my knowledge, there were four pairs of brothers where both brothers in each pair made All District...Region....and 4 brothers of two pairs (if my accounting is accurate) made All State...!!!

Therein lies the satisfaction of being a part of my middle school players who achieve.......from seventh grade to high school varsity soccer..!