Tag Archives: SYSA

Beau’s 2026 Fall Soccer Season

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And that’s a wrap on the 2026 fall soccer season for Beau. He helped lead the White Sharks to a winning season and an overall positive experience.

Beau had a fantastic fall 2026 soccer season.

Sparked by a summer that featured the World Cup, the players in Beau’s league seemed to be a bit more intense this season. Slide tackling (illegal in his league) was constant and celebrations much more elaborate. My son strongly engaged in both activities. 🤦🏻‍♂️

Beau played on the White Sharks this season as they went 4-1-1.

Although I wouldn’t condone Beau’s occasional slide tackling and his over-the-top celebratory handshakes, for the most part his enthusiasm and hustle were commendable. Beau truly enjoys the game of soccer and it definitely showed this season.

Beau loves to play soccer and I am glad he had the opportunity this fall.

A factor that made this season a little sweeter was that he played with a friend. His classmate from St. Mary, Grant, joined Beau on the Sharks as they combined to score most of the goals (and develop most of the handshakes) for the team. Although I like the element of Beau playing with kids outside of his St. Mary close-knit orbit, I think it is the perfect balance to still have one or two classmates on the squad. It makes him just feel a little more comfortable and brought some chemistry to the team.

Beau poses with his teammate and classmate, Grant, after the White Sharks won the first game of the fall season.

As I have now watched numerous sports seasons play out for both of my kids, one thing is very apparent: coaching can be hit or miss. Over the years I have developed simple expectations for youth coaches…show up on time and be engaged. Honestly, that’s it. Although some experience with X’s and O’s combined with some technique is nice, it is truly secondary for me. Beau had a husband/wife duo this year who 100% satisfied the simple expectations and that is all I can ask for.

Beau with his soccer coaches after a game this season.

Back to the results I briefly mentioned at the beginning of this post. The White Sharks went 4-1-1. Beau scored lots of goals throughout the season including Saturday’s last game when he scored four goals and another game when he recorded a hat trick. He needs work on defense and he needs to improve his passing but overall I was very proud of him.

This little dude provided his parents much entertainment and plenty to be proud of this season.

But even more important than him constantly finding the back of the net was the fact that he made every game and every practice. That commitment is what I value most as a dad.

Beau listens to his coach prior to the other team kicking it off.

Soccer starts up again in the spring. Beau will have a decision to make on whether he wants to play that portion of the season or do baseball instead. Often I feel so bad that I am not able to give him more opportunities to play multiple sports at multiple times but we have to be realistic with our time. I will keep you posted on what type of cleats he opts for in the spring. Don’t Blink.

Sloan’s Soccer Season

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I didn’t know how Sloan’s soccer debut would go. I dropped the ball and signed her up late. Because of the tardiness, she was waitlisted. When the Spokane Youth Sports Association (SYSA) finally got back to us, they said there was a spot for Sloan but she would have to “play up.” SYSA organizes leagues according to birth year. So my “2017” baby would have to play with “2016” girls on a South Hill team that had already been playing together for a couple years.

Sidney provides Sloan with some pointers during a soccer match this season.

Sloan was up for the challenge.

Sloan dribbles the ball during her first soccer practice.

This past Saturday, Sloan concluded her season with the Inky Squids. The team played a six-game campaign that introduced her to a new sport and new friends. Throughout the season, which included seven practices, I saw incredible improvement in skill and confidence.

Thumbs up from Sloan for rising to the challenge of playing soccer with an experienced group.

A lot of that was the result of the coach. Caleb Hatch welcomed Sloan to the team with open arms and treated her with kindness and patience. When I responded to his “welcome” e-mail by saying Sloan might not be at the talent level of the other girls, he said “don’t be concerned” and that everyone deserves to play the game of soccer. He took Sloan under his wing the entire season and really helped her to enjoy her time on the field.

The Inky Squid’s soccer coach, Caleb Hatch, speaks with the girls during a game.

It was so much fun watching Sloan and her teammates play. We had beautiful and sunny Saturday mornings for pretty much the whole season and going to the practices on Thursday evenings was a nice break in the school/work week for the both of us. Sloan got to play in front of her grandma for every game, her grandpa for most, and for her aunts/uncle/cousins for some.

Sloan also had her brother at every soccer game.

Although I think the desire was partly fueled by the lack of running involved, Sloan embraced the goalie position and played it for a portion of every game. Nothing gave me more pride than watching her get a save! She also became a little more aggressive by the end of the season and when she remembered which way the opponents’ goal was (😂), it was fun to watch her kick the ball. She actually had a shot on goal this last game which kind of put the icing on the cake for her season.

Sloan defends the goal during one of her games. She embraced playing goalie.

For as much as I talk about Sloan taking a leap of faith to play soccer on an established team, she wasn’t alone. Sloan’s friend and classmate, Aminah, also joined Sloan on the Inky Squids. The two “outsiders” from the Valley did a great job of meshing with their new teammates although it helped that the returning girls were always so warm and welcoming.

Aminah and Sloan are close friends and they stayed close on the field (literally) too.

Sloan is already pumped to continue the two-part soccer season in the spring. I will be excited to see further improvement and perhaps even a goal from that curly-haired girl wearing the #7 jersey. Great job to Sloan for trying something new, honoring her commitment, and playing hard. Don’t Blink.