Who We Are
I am Buford Mobley. I’m no soccer guru. I didn’t play soccer as a kid. In fact, I’ve never played competitive soccer. So what gives me the cahones to think that I could create a website to help soccer parents raise happy, healthy, and successful soccer players?
For one, I have spent the last 14 years doing just that, raising a happy, healthy, and successful soccer player. For the past 14 years, I have been sitting out in Biblical rainstorms, triple-digit heat, cold with sideways rain and sleet, and all-weather in between. I have endured ungodly smells from soccer cleats and soccer bags. I have watched my child do amazing things on the pitch that I never imagined he’d ever been able to do. I have also watched my child do the dumbest of things on the pitch that made me want to go to the car and curl up in a fetal ball. I had yelled at him because he forgot to pack his shin guards for a tournament, even after he said he did the 3 times I asked him before we left. I’ve screamed at referees, coaches, and my child (wrongly, of course). I’ve driven my child to the wrong field for training. I’ve driven from Raleigh, N.C. to Atlanta, G.A. (7 hours) for one game. I’ve planned every family vacation for 14 years around soccer. All paid time off from work was dedicated to soccer. In other words, I’m a typical Soccer Dad.
Two, I have created 2 soccer communities with over forty-five thousand soccer parents from every nook and cranny of The United States. Over the last 4 years, I have gained immeasurable knowledge of the Youth Soccer Ecosystem and the joys and challenges that come with it. Pursuing opportunities in the soccer world has allowed me to learn from coaches from U4 to the professional ranks, players from youth to pro, and most importantly, soccer parents to players at all levels.
Three, I have a child (a young lady) that is 10 years older than my soccer player. She’s a special needs teacher and a productive member of society, so I’ve spent the last twenty-seven years in the parenting trenches, so to speak.