Soccer Over Everything: Four travel soccer players make the sacrifice of missing homecoming for their sport and balance the struggles of keeping up with schoolwork

While most students put glow sticks around their wrists and danced to upbeat music in the Aux Gym, not everyone was able to join the fun — the reason being travel sports.

Growing up constantly on the soccer field, sophomores Mia Mosher, Bella Tilgner, Lauren Mercer and junior Natalie Scobie have lived a life different from others. Traveling almost every other weekend for a sport, while balancing the slumps of their sophomore and junior years in high school, these players have a knack for tough situations.

This year, all four of them had to miss Homecoming for a trip to play two games in Michigan. Although they missed out on a classic high school experience, they were willing to make that sacrifice to strive for their biggest goal of playing soccer in college. 

“It is definitely disappointing,” Mosher said. “But at the same time, I know that I’m missing for a good reason.”

Although the sport can be draining and take time away from school work, these players have found a way to maintain it all.

They put in countless hours of work, and put in as the same amount of effort in school as they do in soccer. 

“You just really have to get your priorities straight,” Mosher said. 

Even through all of the stress, traveling will be all worth it in the end to each of these athletes. During the recruitment process, sending in highlight reels sometimes doesn’t cut it. So it helps these athletes to be recognized while being watched in-person and on the field. 

Almost every other weekend, these four athletes leave at the end of the week, most times missing one or even two days of school. The missed work alone is challenging, but another tough factor is the communication between them and their teachers. They have to make sure to be on top of contacting teachers before class and staying up to date with what the other students are doing in the class.

“It’s just a lot of catch[ing] up,” Scobie said. “I feel so overwhelmed. I’m overwhelmed right now because I just have so much I have to catch up on. But it’s getting better because if you asked me that a week ago, I’d be crying and stressed.”

Many treasurable memories have been sacrificed for their travel. Spending countless hours training and traveling all around the country, and meeting new people has been an incredible experience for them. The bond with their teams is also unmatched to anything else.

“They’re like my second family,” Scobie said. 

Although the disappointment of missing Homecoming has overcome all of them, they continue to work hard and strive through their sport. Despite all of the loss and the missing out, they are committed. 

“I feel like I’m definitely missing moments.” Mosher said. “But then at the same time, I’m gaining different kinds, and I’m striving for something bigger with playing college soccer. It just kind of requires that sacrifice.”