If there’s one thing that’s genuinely become a highlight of my week lately, it’s joining Heyday Soccer.
I’m currently playing in two leagues right now, and I honestly can’t say enough good things about it. What started as something fun to try has quickly turned into something I genuinely look forward to every week.
There’s something about it that makes the city feel smaller - in the best way. More connected. More community driven. You show up for the first time and suddenly you’re surrounded by people you’ve never met before, but everyone’s welcoming, everyone’s there for the same reason: to move their body, get some touches in, and to just enjoy being part of something outside of the usual routine.
And I think that’s what I love most about it. Life can so easily turn into work → home → work → home, and before you know it, the weeks start blending together. These leagues completely break that up. It’s a reminder that there’s a whole other side of the city and your week that’s meant for fun, movement, and connection. One of the fun parts of joining different leagues is that you will probably end up with several colored jerseys. Before you know it, you've built a collection of colorful Heyday tee shirts, each one representing a different season, team, or group of friends. Your closet honestly slowly turns into a rainbow of memories. I've even seen players turn theirs into quilts!
Heyday especially does such a great job of making it easy to plug into that. It’s not just soccer - they’ve got bowling, pickleball, kickball, and even cornhole. It really feels like there’s a place for whatever kind of energy or sport you’re into. Bobby and his friends even play in a softball league together.
This is actually my third year doing it, and it’s become such a steady part of my routine. I usually ride my bike over to the Penn Park field or Friend's Select rooftop field, which makes the whole experience even better since it's usually around sunset, and also doubles as my stretching + warmup before the game even starts.
This season also felt especially good, with our team coming out on top after building our rhythm. It’s one of those things where the win feels bigger because of the people and the consistency behind it.
For me, it’s become this consistent reset button during the week. A couple hours where I’m not thinking about work, errands, or anything else - just playing, meeting people, and spending time outside touching grass (okay, turf).
If you’ve been thinking about trying it, this is your sign. It’s so worth it.
