That park holds so many memories for me, as a kid who grew up playing soccer. But it was more than just a sporting field. It was so much more.
I can tell you about all the games I played in and those I later officiated. And let’s not forget the grueling practices and hill where we ran sprints. But I can also tell you about the generations of families that came out. The little ones running circles on the field, to the older generations still playing pickup or just walking for exercise. I could tell you all my own stories from off the field, the best conversations, and the support I got a long the way. It wasn’t just a sporting field it was a gathering spot.
When you look back on your playing days, do you have a place like that, a place where you didn’t just practice your sport but you made connections and memories? I hope you do. I think that is one of the beautiful things about sport, that we can lose when we hyperfocus on skill improvement and trying to make it big. We can easily forget how to build community along the way, across teams, age groups, and families. I believe that is a mistake, that we should make sure we rectify now.
How do you build community across your sporting program?
The Sideline Fix 
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