This past weekend closed out what was one of the most unique and challenging fall seasons in Club history. COVID-19 created a situation none of us have faced before, and it fundamentally changed the way we experienced the game. Social distancing made its way to the sidelines, face masks became the norm, and we all grew familiar with contact-tracing forms. Through it all, players competed in front of cheering parents every Saturday and the sounds of soccer filled the sport complex week after week. Yet, if you listen closely, you’ll hear another sound just beneath the soccer; a sound that becomes obvious once you’re listening for it, and it might just be more important than soccer.

See, the sports complex is much more than just a place for soccer. It’s the place where conversations between neighbors happen, where siblings play, where Saturday evening plans are made, and where new friendships are born. But most of all, it’s where we come together as a club, where we all unite behind red and black, and where everyone is a little less of a stranger. Because if there’s one thing COVID has taught us over these past months, it’s that coming together isn’t just important, it’s necessary. 

So as our 2020 fall season transitions from new possibilities to memories past, I can’t help but feel a little sad that it’s come to an end; that there isn’t just one more Saturday of kids and soccer and sideline conversations this fall. But here we are in November. Already. We made it through the season, and for that alone, there is a reason to celebrate. But as wonderful as that may be, it gets even better than that. 

In the midst of a pandemic, we’ve grown by 7% while across the state soccer clubs are down 20% on average. That’s a remarkable difference, but even more remarkable is why it’s happening. I believe the answer lies in those sounds that live beneath the voices of our coaches and our players, and the soccer we all enjoy each Saturday. It’s the laughs between friends and neighbors, the conversations between kids, and the plans we make to enjoy time together – that’s why we’re growing. Because those sounds aren’t just the sounds of social plans. They’re the sounds of community, of people sharing, of people growing. And those sounds are making a difference. I can’t thank you enough.

Yes, the fall season is behind us, but our winter season is right around the corner, and even more, we have a world of opportunity in front of us. We’ve started the dialog about focusing on the players and we’ve challenged the status quo of what a soccer club can be. We will continue to innovate, and we will relentlessly pursue the goal of helping our players find success in all areas of their lives. Because we believe in it. Because it’s the right thing to do.

So as we close the chapter on our fall season, we also look forward to the next time we can come together as a club and as a community; to those precious Saturdays that are about soccer and so much more. Those are what creates change – familiar conversations, old friends, sudden smiles, the joy of victory, and the lessons learned from defeat. And it only happens when we do it together. United. 

Joe Ulm
President
Pewaukee Sussex United