Soccer Memories - Treg

When I was first asked to share soccer memories I had no Idea where to start. I mean this list would never stop for me. I have been apart of the game through almost every spectrum that I can think of. The sport is more then a game it is a Love.  It's not a casual thing like watching the USMNT or other professional team but wanting to pick up a ball just to be on your foot. On a few nice days as I have crossed campus this year I have had a ball at my foot literally just playing a little game defeating defenders as they walk to their next class or seeing if I can hit friends as they pass by to literally running into people or playing a game with a pig (yes we have pigs on campus)

From a player perspective it is not necessary any one certain goal that I remember as awesome (even though scoring the game winning goal against rival Warriors as time was expiring was pretty great or scoring against Elida High School on my birthday both years of High School Soccer I played). More
it is a collection of ones that had dramatic impacts upon the game like the Warrior one my dad talked about in sharing his memories or events and friendships that I can never lose.

I remember playing against a team who literally stacked a 1-1-9 formation against us and we got our heads handed to us. Next time down at their place they were mocking us and being cocky during the warm ups and what not and we went out and with in a first few minutes I was running through them like they were Swiss cheese. I remember the first one in that game which was just like us sticking our tongues out saying well two can play this game. No we didn't actually. I never played on a team like that and never plan to coach a team like that either but just one of those "take that" moments.

I got a long pass played by our wing defender Kevin Esser and I took off. Kevin probably played the longest ball I have ever seen from him. Kevin and I related pretty well because we both have speech impediments and just know about all the name calling and what not. We played on the same club teams and while he didn't have the strongest leg or the best foot skills he LOVED the game as much as I did.

As played continued I received it making a flat run to the left side and bent it in since I was literally alone having blown right past the defender marking me. I took the ball from the top of the 18 at about the width of the six to the corner of the six and played the ball to the back post just like the famous Graham Ramsay would yell back in the day to the members of the high school team that I just idolized as a little kid while being a ball boy and helping my dad in practice. As the ball trickled over towards the back post someone came into my peripheral vision. Guess who it was... Kevin himself. one of the slowest kids on the team made the 95 yard run to have my back net option right with me.  It was the start of a beautiful friendship that lasts still today.

Another great memory was playing for Lima Central Catholic. There is an ancient rivalry between them and my school Shawnee. well it was just a blast to play my 8th grade year and a fall rec tournament after my freshmen year with them. At Shawnee they would go to practice with no heart, goofing off and being happy with where they were at - winning lots of games by being
quicker then the opponent.  The gentlemen over at LCC had the Love of the game they talked about it daily. They warmed up with the idea of no bad passes and trying to get better. It was an honor playing with those guys as they were goofy off the  field like any teenage boys, but on the field it was all about the game and sportsmanship and nothing else.

The best moment playing with these guys came from Nolan Burkholder. We both
played club soccer and our skill level was higher than our teammates who did not. I remember doing so many wall passes a round a guy from St. Marys that he finally stopped. Just up and quit on us. Literally one time he just threw up his hands and said go because if it wasn't a wall pass it was an overlap, dribbling on to the next line or playing the ball to a target forward. Nolan and I played combination passes to get around the defenders.

Or the year after when Nolan and I were going at it in high school or later that fall playing on their middle school team where I played the sweeper position and saved a goal when the ball was on the goal line.

Through all these ramblings the thoughts just go on and on.

Moving from the field to refereeing to coaching to a spectator and all the
other spectrums are endless as well.

Probably the most memorable one as a referee came when refereeing Lance as he served as
a guest player. He dribbled right in front of me on a very short and narrow field and took a shot as a defending mid from about 40 yards out and just started laughing. I take off down the field towards the ball and the little stinker had put the ball in the net. That goal, if my memory serves me correctly, might of been the only goal in the game.

From the perspective of a spectator my favorite memory is probably sitting right behind the Jon Busch, Chad Marshall and Jeff Chuningham as they played for the crew. Kevin and I were
ball boys for his birthday behind the goal on the home side. It was a blast to be that up and personal and actually got to hold a conversation with Busch for about 5 minutes.

Or meeting Frankie Hedjuk and talking to him on numerous occasions.  Or the day I  nutmeged Frankie on Ohio State University Oval. (GO BLUE!) I mean just all the fun from playing the standard team game has been a blast.

As a player the last game doesn't end at the whistle of the last full side organized game but when you decide to step away. This list could go on and on and I have told my dad that I am more then willing to share more in-depth memories of this wonderful game.

Columbus Crew Stadium experience doesn't measure up.

I have been attending matches at Columbus Crew Stadium since it opened in 1999.  It is a great venue for high school soccer and I have enjoyed many a reserve match there. I have watched my son referee there and truly enjoyed the experience. Watching an MLS match is not an enjoyable experience for me. In fact, I have never had a "great" MLS experience at Columbus Crew Stadium.

Three experiences will serve to highlight what I perceive to be short-comings in marketing and presentation.

1) The first time I took my young family to Columbus Crew Stadium I purchased tickets in advance from the Crew Ticket office. I explained I was bringing my family including 2 young sons ages 11 & 7 and wanted to purchase good seats in a "family oriented area".  They sold me seats in the north end zone right in the middle of what today is known as The Cult of the Crew rowdy fan section.  The vulgar chants, cussing and swearing were so bad, we left rather than subject our young children to such behavior and language.

Note: I am not against rowdy fans / behavior, but I have a real issue with the Columbus Crew if this is what they believe is a family atmosphere.

2) On a subsequent trip to Columbus Crew Stadium we took our 3 young sons to see the Crew play. I purchased lower level tickets along the west touchline for the family so as to avoid the "rowdy adult section".  This worked out pretty well in that regard. Friends of ours had purchased $10 tickets in the upper level for the match.  Imagine my surprise when less than 10 minutes into the match a Columbus Crew Stadium usher seated our friends who had purchased the cheap tickets in the row in front of us.  I paid more than double per ticket from the Columbus Crew ticket office and here they were getting the same experience I was.  I couldn't very well complain openly at the time but I did contact the Columbus Crew offices the following Monday. They explained to me it was a televised game and they wanted to fill the lower bowl so as to present the image of a large crowd.  Yes sir, they admitted to purposefully upgrading customers for no other reason than to present a better image for those watching on television.

I proposed submitting my ticket stubs for a refund of the money I had spent in excess of those who purchased $10 upper level seats.  Yeah, the Crew didn't go for that either.

3) At every Columbus Crew home match I have attended my ears have been assaulted as if I were at a rock concert or in a crowded bar.  It's so ridiculously loud as to be difficult to carry on a conversation with those around you. Piped in music blaring from pregame through post game. Even the announcements, often made over the top of the music, are obnoxiously loud.  When I go into a restaurant or bar where the music / atmosphere is that loud I always become suspicious - What are they attempting to distract my attention from?  What are they attempting to cover up?  In the Columbus Crew's case it might be the vulgar chants and general potty mouthed language coming from a very vocal minority of crazy fans.  Can their product, the Columbus Crew soccer team, not stand on its own?  (It most certainly can!)

For high school and reserve matches the Columbus Crew Stadium is a great venue. Take your family and enjoy quality time. You can actually converse with one another, discuss your favorite players as you watch them warm up / play, discuss strategy, play and highlights/ One can generally have a great time with family and friends. It can be an intimate setting to see a sporting event, unless the Columbus Crew are playing when it is like watching a soccer match while attending a rock concert. I like soccer and I like rock concerts just not at the same time. It's a shame because Major League Soccer has improved over the years. It still isn't Champions League or Bundesliga quality but it has improved tremendously over the years.


***** Frankie Hejduk (pictured above) is a wonderful ambassador for the Columbus Crew and MLS. My sons were walking the upper concourse during half time of last nights match when Treg recognized Mr. Hejduk exiting a suite. The never shy Lance introduced himself to Mr. Hejduk and I understand a conversation about ODP and Academy soccer ensued. Mr Hejduk was wearing his 2008 MLS Championship ring and that made almost as big an impression on the kids as he himself did. Kudos to Frankie Hejduk!