I’ve always liked sports, but with wonky eye sight and minimal muscle mass the stories and themes made a greater impact than the scores and the stats.

In the last two years I’ve become a father to you two amazing pumpkins and as you grow and play and live in a wider world that fixates on results, I want to give you another perspective.

So, I made a place to share reflections, ideas, beliefs, and thoughts about the past, present, and future inspired by the global and personal passion that is soccer.

Starting this site seemed like the thing to do for a few reasons. I’m a talkative, bombastic, chatty person and slowing down my words has significant benefits. Publishing what I write isn’t terribly comfortable for me, but if I am going to help you face your fears of darkness and potties and cans of seltzer water that open with a loud *Kccch*, I should face my fears too.

Most of all, trite as it is, talking during and about sports can really help. The games give you a habit and an arena to talk and talk freely. When I was a kid, I gained so much from morning runs with my dad, backyard battles with my brothers, and mid-tournament talks with my mom. Heck, your mother and I announced our love for each other in the middle of a nine-part baseball documentary.

Right now you’re still learning to jump and roll over, so we’re not really ready for big conversations yet. But we have our habit in the mornings and the evenings, at the bottom of the stairs. We pull boots on and tug them off. So, welcome to the boot room.

Here, with the help of eleven teams from around the world, we can talk about what brought our family here, what shapes our world and what will inspire our values. Watching these teams shows us how to savor the moments of each match while also planning for the future; how to navigate the world at the moment and study the structures that got us here.

Our Starting XI

1. University of Montana Lady Griz (Big Sky)
2. Rosenborg BK (Norwegian-Elitserien)
3. SC Freiburg (German-Bundesliga)
4. FK Vozdovac (Serbian-Super Liga)
5. Ross County FC (Scotland Premiership)
6. Grenoble Foot (France Ligue 2)
7. Legon Cities FC (Ghanaian Premeirship)
8. Emelec (Ecuadorian Serie A)
9. Alebrijes of Oaxaca (Mexican Ascenco MX)
10. Minnesota United (MLS)
11. Minerva Punjab (India I-League)

For some, this might seem silly. A collection of life advice through the prism of football clubs may be the height of irrelevance. If nothing else, it will present the power of tribalism, separation, and segmentation that is the exactly what hurts us now. Why leave an account of this nonsense, or this ugliness for two young kids?

Because, put simply, you should know about ugliness and nonsense just as much as you know about beauty and truth. You should know about fracturing, fiercely independent, cultures because those are the cultures who will shape our shared world. You are unique and powerful individuals, because you live a life shaped by 11 unique and powerful communities.

Out of many you are one. You should do what you think is best, and you can use the opinions of those who’ve gone before to help guide you to that decision. You should know your history, and the histories of those who share your space. By all means, play your own way, but never forget that you’re playing with a team.

This site is built with love to show you where we’ve been, where we are, and where we could go. It’s built for you, whenever you find it.

Love, Papa