With all the focus on soccer moms, don’t forget about soccer dads
After the car I was sitting in slid into a spot in the Milpitas High School parking lot, a grey Highlander swerved into the adjacent spot just as I was about to open the door. Four MVHS soccer players filed out of the SUV, juniors Jonathan Yee, Jordan Lim, Grant Manley, and Guy Sarfaty, followed by Ms. Yee. “Is this what they mean by the life of a soccer mom?” I thought to myself, as I realized that Ms. Yee had committed at least four hours of her day to watch her son and his teammates play soccer. 
The soccer mom, otherwise known as a woman who takes her children to sport games, practices, and any other extracurriculars, is such a huge part of our modern culture that many people consider it an important demographic to win over during election years. However, I wondered, was there such thing as the “soccer dad”? If such a demographic existed, did they have any unique characteristics?
In the Milpitas High School bleachers, I discovered the “soccer dad”. Much like their female counterparts, the soccer dads also sacrifice time to drive their children to games. What set them apart was how they handle themselves during the game.
Though the soccer moms had a numerical advantage over the soccer dads at the game at Milpitas High School on Tuesday, I found that the dads as a collective brought a unique perspective to the game. The moms cheered for their sons and gasped at every missed scoring opportunity for the Matadors, whereas the dads were fiery and abrasive towards the referees while screaming advice at their child’s team.
When the referees failed to call a penalty for a deliberate hand ball committed by a Milpitas defender, the fathers let everyone know what was on their mind.
“That was a hand ball. The ball is in the hand!” Mr. Pereyra, father of senior Gabriel Pereyra and junior Julio Pereyra, screamed.
A few minutes later, with Milpitas dominating possession and pressuring in the offensive zone, Mr. Pereyra had more words of wisdom to share.
“Guy, look behind you. Watch out for number three!”
As the game winded down, a Milpitas father told his son, #17, the fastest player on the field, that he loved his son and that he was proud of how he played.
Though the soccer moms in their minivans may be the popular stereotype that comes to mind, the soccer dads also exist and they show the same love and dedication to their children, albeit in their own different way. After all, it takes both a soccer mom and a soccer dad to make a complete family.
