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Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Blending On the Pitch
Central Kansas, KS
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By: Clark Schafer, VYPE Central Kansas
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Photo(s) By: Kerrie Hensley
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Tyler Hageman and Jordan Drake became brothers on the soccer field, as dad, stepdad, coach and official Rob Drake watched over them
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“We tried baseball, but I like fast pace,” says Jordan. “I don’t have a long attention span, and in soccer, anything can happen. The constant moving – it’s what hooked me from the start.”
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When Rob and Andrea Drake married a dozen years ago, they encountered some of the same challenges many newly blended families experience. One of the ways they tried to build a sense of family and togetherness for their children was getting them involved in youth sports. Little did they know an innocent start in kids soccer would turn into a year-round, all-consuming passion.
Rob was a standout high school basketball player in the 1980s at Wichita North and later played junior college ball at Garden City Community College. But, in adapting to a new family structure, Rob found himself learning a whole new sport as a father, and along the way providing a foundation for his new family.
“We decided to put them in soccer as a way to get them doing something together,” says Rob. “We got my son Jordan and Andrea’s youngest, Tyler, along with some cousins and the boys’ friends on an AYSO team. I think they were 5 and 7 years old when we got them on their first team.
“I was the coach and it was as generic and basic as you can get.”
His basketball background did little to help him for his soccer coaching career, so Rob took an officiating class. That way, he’d at least know the rules of the game.
While Rob was doing extra soccer homework, his son Jordan and stepson, Tyler Hageman, were learning to love the sport.
“We tried baseball, but I like fast pace,” says Jordan. “I don’t have a long attention span, and in soccer, anything can happen. The constant moving – it’s what hooked me from the start.
“It was new and interesting and we got to play with my friends. It was fun and having dad as coach was great.”
“It was never a problem [adjusting to a blended family],” says Tyler. “We just kept going to soccer and even when we went home, we still had soccer.”
Tyler’s father, Tim Hageman, actually was Rob’s assistant coach for a couple of years after the team moved from AYSO to the more competitive Sedgwick County Soccer Association.
“Some people asked me if that was strange coaching with my wife’s ex-husband, but, no, we get along,” Rob says. “That’s how divorced families should be –be the best for the kids.”
With the boys catching the soccer bug at a young age, the sport has become a fixture in Rob and Andrea’s household.
“The boys have grown in the game,” Rob says. “I never expected it when we first got them involved. I didn’t know it would come to this.
“Jordan is blessed and it comes easy for him. He’ll be heavily recruited by colleges. Tyler is a 4.0 student and a gifted soccer player. He has a couple colleges talking to him and will have the chance to play beyond high school,” Rob predicts.
Both athletes point to their shared path as the main reason for their prowess.
“We had a normal relationship growing up – a close relationship – and we always have,” says Jordan.
“I like playing with him,” Tyler says of his stepbrother. “It was easier going to the same practices, games and tournaments.”
Their paths diverged at the prep level, as Jordan attends Wichita Northwest and Tyler, Wichita Heights.
Now when Tyler is not playing, he’ll go watch Jordan. “And, when I’m playing and he’s off, he’ll come watch me play.”
Tyler, a senior captain for defending City League champion Heights, was named all-league and all-metro as a midfielder last fall, helping the Falcons place third at state. Although the Falcons lost several starters and are playing under their fourth new head coach in four years, Ryan Kelley, Tyler says his goals are the same in 2008.
“This year, we have four solid starters who played 80 minutes a game last year. We must fill in seven new spots.” Heights struggled to do so early in the season, losing all three games at the Titan Classic.
“I won’t call it rebuilding, but we have a lot of new players to work in and all get up to speed, so there’s a lot of pressure in practice and games on us. We want to get back to state and go back for our senior year.”
Jordan is the goalkeeper for Northwest, having started since his freshman year.
“I have a lot of goals,” says Jordan. “Team goals – we want to win a City League title and get to state and, better yet, win state.”
Likewise, individually, Jordan has lofty ambitions, setting his sights at earning all-city, all-metro and all-state honors.
In addition to soccer, Jordan is the starting kicker for the Northwest football team. In this fall’s season opener against Kapaun, he booted five extra points and consistently sent kickoffs deep near the Crusader end zone.
More fans and classmates may see him on the gridiron, but there’s no doubt soccer is Jordan’s favorite. And he credits his years playing with his stepbrother on club teams for helping him develop his skills.
“Playing up (in age group) with Tyler for several years was tremendous for me. That’s the reason I’m good now. It strengthened my game, and when I came down to my age group, it became easy work,” says Jordan.
Jordan and Tyler played together on the same club teams (The Evolution, started by Rob Drake) up until they entered high school. So they know each other’s game well.
“He has really good foot skills. He’s a good leader, with good leadership skills. And he’s always looking to shoot,” Jordan says of Tyler.
They look forward to playing against one another, though they have squared off only once in high school. Before missing last fall’s Heights-Northwest game with an injury, Jordan was in goal as a freshman when Northwest lost to Heights on a last-second goal. Tyler didn’t score it, however.
“I have never given up a goal to Tyler and hopefully I never will,” says Jordan in the spirit of a good-natured sibling rivalry.
Tyler believes he has scored once against Jordan, but admits his brother is strong in the net. “During a scrimmage, we ended it with penalty kicks, and of course he stopped mine.”
“I don’t pull for either one (when they play against each other),” says Rob, re-entering the conversation. “I root for them both to do well and no injuries.”
In addition to watching his boys, Rob has continued his refereeing career. He is now certified to officiate high school and college games. One of the things he loves most about donning the whistle is the chance to be with his sons, who also officiate in the off-season.
“We’re blessed. I love sharing our times together. We have worked 10-15 tournaments a year in the past,” Rob says. “The road trips are fun and we’ve shared great times together.”
“We’ll spend a weekend refereeing, Saturday and Sunday, the three of us,” says Tyler. “It’s always fun and we now know a lot of the people who attend (the tournaments) from different areas like Topeka and Kansas City. After we ref for the day, we hang out with a lot of the players we’ve met and become friends with through the years.”
“It’s a good tradition,” adds Jordan. “Dad started to ref and he inspired us. We ref a lot together and travel. Everybody knows us three.
“It’s always special. It’s more time to get to spend with dad.”
“If one of us is playing,” Tyler says, “the other two will go and ref the tournament. When we’re not working, we can watch the other in action.”
If Rob referees the boys’ future college matches, it’s a rotation that may not end any time soon.
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