There's one week every year I dread (and it's one of my biggest sources of inspi
By Melissa Burdick · March 7, 2026 · Curated by George's Blog
There's one week every year I dread (and it's one of my biggest sources of inspiration):
Competitive club soccer tryouts.
100+ kids competing for a handful of spots.
Four straight days of drills, scrimmages, and evaluations.
Straight after a grueling State Cup tournament.
This year, three players on my son's team moved down.
He came home each night exhausted - blisters on both heels.
And all I can do as his parent is show up with every band-aid and sports tape known to mankind. (20, for anyone counting. Thank you Target and CVS!)
Two years ago he was determined to move up teams.
At 13, he made a tough trade-off: skipping his school trip to Costa Rica so he could attend tryouts to have a shot.
That week, he moved up three levels.
Not because of luck. Because of months of extra practices, reps in the rain, and a lot of determination.
This year was the real test: Could he keep the spot he worked so hard to earn?
Watching it unfold reminded me of something we’re all experiencing right now.
In competitive environments, nothing is permanent.
The bar keeps rising.
The environment keeps changing.
And past success doesn’t guarantee your spot tomorrow.
The AI era feels a lot like these tryouts.
Yesterday’s advantage disappears quickly. The field gets more competitive, and the only things that still work are the fundamentals:
Reps, trade-offs, and the humility to keep improving when the bar keeps moving.
Proud of this kid for keeping his spot... and grateful for the inspiration.