It’s Tryout Time. But This Is About So Much More

Hey Hauppauge families,

I’ve been thinking a lot lately—about where we are as a club, and about where all of our kids are heading.

It’s tryout season, and with it comes the pressure, the questions, the emotions. I know because I’m right in it with you. I’ve had conversations with so many of you. I’ve seen the texts. I’ve heard the talk at the fields. And I know we’re all wondering the same thing: what’s next?

What team will my kid land on?Will their friends stay together?Are we in the right place?

I feel that weight too. I live it every day in my own house. My son Parker’s teams are completely up in the air right now. We don’t know what next season looks like for him—and that uncertainty is hard. It’s personal. It’s emotional.

But I also see the other side. I’ve watched my son Brody’s team take on massive academy clubs—superteams built from handpicked players across Long Island—and beat them. And not just once. I’ve watched our kids outwork, outfight, and outplay teams with more resources, more reputation, and more buzz.

Why?

Because they believe in each other. Because they play for each other. Because they’ve grown up together.

And I look at my youngest son, Nash, still in intramurals, just starting his soccer journey—and I see how bright the future is. I want him to grow up in a club where he can dream big and do it alongside the friends he’s grown up with.

That’s why I’m here. That’s why I’m doing this. That’s why I care so much.

Because I love these kids.Not just my own—but all of them.

The ones who are scoring goals.The ones who are still finding their confidence.The ones who show up early, and the ones who need a little push to stay focused.

They all matter to me.

And I don’t just want to build better soccer players. I want to build a club that teaches them how to push through tough moments with their friends by their side.

That’s what this is about.

It’s not about bouncing from place to place every time things get hard. It’s about facing those hard things together.

When your team struggles.When your best player goes down.When you lose a game you should’ve won.

What do you do?You rally. You show up. You find a way.

And when you do it with your people—with your friends, your classmates, your teammates who’ve been there since the beginning—that win means more. That journey matters.

That’s the culture I want for this club.

And I can already feel it shifting.

The energy on the sidelines.The way our teams have started to compete.The way families are showing up, not just for their own kid—but for every kid.

We’re just getting started.

This isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being real. It’s about building something together that our kids will remember for the rest of their lives.

Not just that they played soccer—but who they played with.Not just that they won—but what they went through to get there.

So yes, tryout season is hard.Yes, there are big decisions ahead.

But I believe in what we’re building. I believe in these kids. I believe in this town.

We are just getting started.

Thanks for reading—and thank you for being part of something that matters.

Wishing all the kids the best of luck—no matter where they end up. I’ll be the guy on the sideline cheering them on, proud of who they are, not what jersey they wear.

—Rob Mannino President, Hauppauge Soccer Club