Family support is a key to becoming a professional soccer player.

Good morning and Happy Father’s Day.

Celia Jiménez here, thinking about all I learned from my cover story in this week’s edition of the Weekly: the dedication of soccer players and their parents, the different options kids have to play the sport and the slim chances of turning a passion into a profession. 

I attended the Monterey Bay FC Under 20 tryouts on May 17. For me, it was another Saturday morning, but for the teens, it was a decisive moment. It was a day that would get them closer to achieving their dream of becoming a professional soccer player. 

It was a cloudy day and the stadium was very silent compared to the noise and cheers on a game night.

I spoke with some of the parents that were there. They were coming from Fresno, Marina, Salinas and the Bay Area. 

One of them was Asim Hasan, who drove his son Ali, 17, at 5am from Dublin to Cardinale Stadium. Hasan was sitting in the lower stands watching his son play and taking videos. He says his son has played soccer since he was very young. “It’s his passion,” Hasan says. 

Another parent in attendance was Evelia Mendoza, who encouraged her son Noe Mendoza to sign-up for tryouts. 

“For him, soccer is the best,” she says in Spanish. “His dream is to play in a [professional] team.”

Noe Mendoza, 18, played for Marina High School. Now, he takes classes at Monterey Peninsula College and works at Target.

Another reason Mendoza encouraged her son to attend the tryouts is because she noticed her son is happier when he spends time playing the sport he loves. 

Adrian Rebollar, Joel Garcia and Pierce Gallaway, all MBFC players for the first team, mentioned their parents when they talked with me about their soccer journey. So, I have no doubt family support is a key component to success. 

Coaches say there is a delicate balance between supporting and overwhelming your kids with their dreams, because that could either be beneficial or detrimental to their success. Plus, not every player wants to turn pro. But for those who do, they must prepare for a long grind.