GAGE WHITE’S
SUCCESSFUL RETURN TO CLUB SOCCER Sometimes a break from the club soccer game can be a good one, especially when a player isn’t in a developmentally suitable environment. For some players, the club soccer scene can be seen as a harsh place with downsides such as unfair playing time, social pressure, and huge requirements of time and money from parents. All of this comes without a guarantee that a child will receive significant playing time or development as a player and a person – resulting in the player leaving the game. One person affected by the tempestuous club landscape was, 17-year-old AYSO United goalkeeper, Gage White. In 2016, Gage’s father, Ryan White, received a job offer that required relocation during Gage’s freshman year of high school from Utah to Arizona. At 14 years-old, Gage found himself adjusting to a new environment in a new school and as a member of a new soccer club. He felt that club soccer was the one thing that would make his new home feel like home and based off his past experiences, expected a good experience from this new team. Unfortunately, the result wasn’t what he expected. Gage found himself in an unhealthy playing atmosphere, where he wasn’t being developed and at risk of injury.
“I had talked to the coach before moving and was assured that his team would be competitive. He said they wouldn't win every game, but they would be competitive,” shared his dad Ryan White. “We didn't want Gage to be on a team where he would not be challenged, so being competitive sounded great. When we got here and went to the training and tryout, it seemed okay, but we got into the season and it was so bad.” After a tough six months with his first Arizona club, Gage knew it was time to either find a new team or take a break. It was then that Gage received a call from a team he had just played offering him a new club to call home. Gage’s team had just lost 14-0 to this team a few a weeks prior but after a great show of heart and resilience, many of the parents in attendance noticed there was a special player in goal, no matter the result. “We lost like 14 to 0 but after the game their parents all came up to me shaking my hand and telling me to keep my head up,” said Gage. “And then a couple weeks later I get a call from a team dad to come play for them. I don’t know how they found me, but I played a few tournaments with them and I just didn’t get a good feel for them.” The final result with this new club still wasn’t good and it was then that he decided he needed to step away from the game he loved and focus his energy on football instead. He became the kicker for his high school football team, and joined the volleyball team but there was still something missing. He knew he wanted to get back to playing soccer and after a two-year hiatus, he made his return. The return started when his friend Matthew Godinez, an AYSO United Arizona player, convinced Gage to come out to an AYSO United tryout. Matthew was eager to have Gage come and check out the club that he himself had fallen in love with. All Gage knew for certain was that he wanted to play on a state level team that would make him feel welcomed – AYSO United fit the criteria. An athlete who is technically talented with a clear voice on the field, Gage quickly caught the attention of AYSO United Arizona Director of Coaching, Ed Alameda. “When I saw Gage during tryouts I was very impressed with his physical ability, his size and of course his skill. What is most impressive about Gage is his leadership,”
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FALL 2019 AYSO.org