Soccer Manifesto, Part 1

The Beautiful Game, and Me...

Soccer has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. From the EPL games that always made their way onto our television to hours and hours of training in wind, rain, and snow, I grew up as a product of a soccer household. 

It hit me this past week that this fall is my first since kindergarten that I will not be a part of Greylock Soccer. For those of you who don't know, my father Blair Dils has coached the Mounties boys squad since 1999--capturing numerous North Division titles and a State Championship along the way. My earliest memories of the sport came not on the field but along the sidelines as a ballboy. It didn't take long for those chilly Friday nights at the Greylock stadium to become my favorite time of the year, and that love stuck with me throughout my playing days as a Mountie. 

The final whistle

I made it to the big leagues as a freshman in 2008, earned a starting role for the varsity team a few games into the season, and got to be a part of the most amazing emotional ride as we somehow managed win after win--all the way to the State Championship game. That was the greatest day of all, as we clung on to win 3-2 in the biting wind at Cawley Stadium. It wasn't a bad time to score my first career goal, either.

I will talk about that game or any of my three following seasons any chance I get. In my four years Greylock we went 70-5-5, and I'd love to think that I made a little bit of an impact on a program and school that I care so much about. Being a part of the Greylock Soccer way of life for so long prepared me for success in high school and my opportunities going forward. 

My plans for the future always included soccer. I knew I could play in college, and I am so fortunate to be heading to Middlebury where I can continue my sport. Every scheme and conversation focused on my current gap year had soccer involved. I knew that I needed to find a way to play against high level competition, to immerse myself in a soccer culture, and to focus on improvement. Everything from a PG year to playing in Zimbabwe was thrown around, but eventually my soccer plans landed in Bad Homburg, Germany.

Check back soon for Part 2, where I'll explain my soccer situation in Germany.