Ask the average kid in Dallas, Texas, what sport they play and the answer is likely soccer. That certainly wasn’t the case in the 1960s when I grew up here. The sport didn’t even exist in public schools. But it has become extremely popular, especially for kids not playing Texas football. My son Matt played it, and now his son, Hayden, does too.
And, at age 13, Hayden is really good.
He plays on what they call a “select team.” You try out for it. You sign a contract. You travel to multiple out-of-town games like Houston, San Antonio, Austin and Oklahoma City. And you still have to be home after a Sunday away game in time to finish your homework and be ready for seventh grade on Monday morning.
That was the issue when Matt asked if I could fly him and Hayden to Tulsa, Oklahoma, for a 4 p.m. Sunday game recently. The drive from Dallas is 4.5 hours, and arriving back home after 11 p.m. was not first on Matt’s list.
And the flight in the Mustang? Forty-seven minutes.
But when to depart Dallas? You see, Hayden is a starter. Starters can’t just miss the game. What if the starters on the Mustang failed and they had to drive?
We met at Addison airport at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday morning, just in case. Of course, the trusty Mustang started as usual. Matt sat up front and ran the checklist while “Nana” Patty fed Hayden pre-game snacks. With zero headwind at FL 270, we cruised at 325 knots in clear skies and arrived hours in advance of the game.
We were early enough to enjoy a leisurely lunch at a Jimmy John’s sandwich shop, a forty-five-minute shopping tour of the local Academy Sports outlet, and a stint in the soccer field parking lot baking under 97-degree Oklahoma heat.
The game was close, and the fans intense, with the Tulsa team prevailing 4-3 even after Hayden’s magnificent corner kick.
Slightly sunburned, we loaded up the folding chairs in the Mustang’s cavernous baggage compartment and headed back to Addison the same way we came, with Patty up front running the checklist, touching down minutes before a stunning sunset.
All in all, a very satisfying day.
As Hayden exited the plane, he looked at me and said, “Pops, I’m thinking about trying out for the European soccer league in a couple of years. Could you take me to those games too?”
“Sure, Hayden,” I said. “I will sign up for my Gulfstream type rating next week.”
Boys can dream, can’t they?
Fly safe.
