After a tough tournament, kids often process quietly. This reflection looks at why the moments after matter just as much as the games themselves.

Practical, flexible guidance on tournament snacks that actually work for soccer players—focused on timing, familiarity, hydration, and ease.

Travel tournaments have a way of magnifying everything. The excitement. The nerves. The tiredness. The disappointment. And the moments in between. This Florida weekend reminded me that when youth soccer gets bigger, what kids need doesn’t get louder — it gets steadier. Before the Games Ever Started We began the weekend with what my son wanted. Fishing off the pier. Calamari for dinner. No soccer talk. That choice mattered more than it looked like. Before the schedules and un