My son Brady is 16. He’s passionate about soccer. When he was younger, I believed his love of soccer was fleeting. I thought that it would just be something he’d enjoy as a kid and then would eventually leave behind. Instead, soccer put him on a nontraditional path.
At age 9, when we were living in England, he was selected for a local club’s development program. That club is now in the Premier League. At 12, he was offered a spot at the boarding academy for a prestigious Spanish club. My husband and I thought he was too young to leave home. At 14, we finally relented, and he moved to Florida to train at IMG Academy. Brady has trialed with pro clubs three times. He just received an offer to join the academy at DC United, Washington, DC’s Major League Soccer team. Not only is he on a pro pathway, but he’s also being recruited by top D1 colleges.
Parenting Brady has been an absolute joy. He’s kind, caring, hardworking, and loves school. He has taught me so much about life. Here are some lessons I’ve learned from him:
- It’s okay to do life differently. Many times, I’ve worried that the unique path he’s taking would have an adverse impact. Instead, it’s had the opposite effect. He’s flourished by being able to express his preferences and choose his path. He faces challenges with a strong sense of ownership.
- Talent opens doors. When you are talented, opportunities appear. The more aware you are of your strengths, the better you can find fit and joy. Seek to recognize what you are really good at and trust in the journey your talent leads you toward.
- Continuous improvement works. Brady gets criticized every day. His coaches, trainers, and fellow players are always telling him how he can be better. He’s very open to this process. He asks questions about his gaps. Each day of his recent pro trial, he came home and took notes on the feedback he received. He then worked to apply it the next day.
- You can’t coach drive. Motivation is intrinsic. Brady works incredibly hard. Nothing I do influences his work ethic. As leaders, the best we can do for our team members is to support them in finding what fuels their drive to succeed. Watch what people put effort into and empower them in those pursuits.
- Pursuing your dreams should be fun. As adults, we stress over details, ruminate over missteps, and feel the heaviness of our choices. When uncanny success happens for you at 16, there’s a brevity to it that’s inspiring. Brady shakes off mistakes. He laughs at himself. He takes breaks, he rests well, and he gets excited by the little things. He’s not grinding, he’s enjoying the journey.
Who knows how far my son’s love of soccer will take him. All I know for sure is that I’m with him every step of the way, and I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to learn with him and from him.
Founded in 2004, Lead Star is the company behind the best-selling books SPARK, Leading from the Front, and Bet on You. Lead Star helps professionals reach new levels of success through its innovative leadership development programs.
