All of us getting emotional, but with vastly different triggers. You might let go of a stray tear when attending a weepie movie, I might be overtaken when attending a soccer match. Like, you know, we’re different.

For me, though, heading to Cherokee Park over the weekend brought back a variety of fun memories, as I coached many, many, many losses (er, games) at that exact spot. But that’s history. Now, every Saturday and Sunday, at both noon and 1:30, kids from City middle schools are playing soccer, in a league that’s geared towards teams that would fall outside of the long-running CYC. Playing under the auspices of the soccer-in-the-city group known as New Dimensions, this league was formed by a parent, DJ Wilson; though he might deflect credit elsewhere. But he called the schools, found the refs, got things moving.

Now, in the shadow of The Brewery, kids are running around on a Saturday, both boys and girls kicking a ball with a bit of competition on the line. The games might be a bit rough, owing to many of the players being relatively new to the game, but there’s definitely some talent on the field, too. More than a couple of these kids will wind up fleshing out high school teams in the next year, or two, and the experience they’re gaining at Cherokee will be a big part of that.

More importantly, of course, they’re simply getting exercise, having fun with friends, learning teamwork.

On Saturday, with two girls teams squaring off at noon, this semester’s videographer, Andy Alton, captured some the scene. In a few weeks, we’ll share the results. Which, for me, might require a nearby hankie.