MUSKEGON TWP. - Austin Loveland is the type of kid that every coach wants to have on the team.
Hard worker, great attitude, good teammate.
The problem was that he didn’t quite have the skills to be on the Reeths-Puffer soccer team this year, which he learned from the coaches before the start of the season.
That was a tough blow for an athlete who had spent three years in the R-P program, including his junior season on the varsity roster.
But Loveland is a kid who knows how to roll with the punches, He was offered the job of team manager and accepted, because he loved the Rockets and wanted to remain part of the squad.
R-P's Austin Loveland
So Loveland stayed on the sidelines, keeping stats, helping with equipment, cheering on the players, and basically just participating in everything.
His loyalty and dedication was noticed by the R-P coaching staff, and they rewarded him last week.
He was told that he was going to suit up for the next to last game of the regular season, at home against Muskegon on Senior Night.
Then the story got even better. Loveland was in the starting lineup against the Big Reds and scored a goal about 20 minutes into the game.
It will go down as the only goal of his varsity career. It was one of eight goals that night for the Rockets, but for Loveland, it meant the world. 
Loveland is greeted by teammate Saif Abunayla after scoring his goal. Photo/Joe Lane
“I just remember I ran into the box, somebody passed it in, then I trapped it and shot it and it went right under the goalie’s feet and went in,” Loveland said when asked to describe his goal.
R-P coach Kody Harrell said the goal provided a great moment for the team.
“Everyone was pretty hyped,” Harrell said. “That was pretty cool. It was great to see him finish something he had worked hard on and get a goal in his high school career."
'I just wanted to be around these guys'
Like a lot of soccer players, Loveland started playing when he was very small and worked his up way up through the system.
“I started when I was probably like five,” he said. “My dad was really into it. He played for Reeths-Puffer and then played college, and he got me and my brother into it.”
Loveland made the junior varsity team as a freshman and sophomore and got some playing time, although he was never a starter.
He went out for the varsity and made the roster as a junior, but was told from the get-go that he wouldn’t see the field much and had to work on developing his skills.
“He was in a development type of situation,” Harrell said. “I told him he made the team and we will invest in your development, but we had a lot of good athletes on the team. There just weren’t a lot of playing minutes available.”
Loveland shoots the ball that went in the net. Photo/Joe Lane
This year, before his senior season, it became obvious to the coaches that Loveland still didn’t have what it took to get much playing time.
Harrell broke the news to him before team tryouts, so he wouldn’t have to go through the process and be too disappointed.
“I called him in and just said, ‘We love you man, we have a strong relationship with you, you work hard and do things the right way, but you just haven’t made the strides we were hoping for,’” Harrell said. “I told him we would love to have him as team manager.”
Loveland admits he was down for a short while, but the decision to accept the new duties and stay with the team was really a no-brainer.
“I wanted to play, but I knew my skills were not as good as some of the other guys on the team,” he said. “Coach said I got faster, but my skills kind of stayed the same. I was definitely disappointed. I love playing soccer. But for me, I just wanted to be around these guys. They are the best part of it. I love hanging out with them.”
'I never thought I would get the chance to do it again'
Besides keeping stats and doing other chores on the sideline, Loveland said he tried to keep the players’ spirits up as the season went by.
That wasn’t always easy, because after an exciting 6-2-1 start, the Rockets hit a slump, losing six of seven games at one point.
"He was there to be a big support piece for the players,” Harrell said. “Us coaches can be hard on the guys, and he’s there to say ‘You got this.’ He provides positive reinforcement.”
Loveland said his best moment of the season came when Harrell said he was going to get to play against Muskegon, because he never expected it
“I felt myself getting a little teary-eyed, because I hadn’t played in a while and I never thought I would get the chance to do it again,” he said.
Loveland in action against Muskegon, in his only game of the season. Photo/Joe Lane
He practiced with the team once before the game, but had limited time to really prepare after spending the season on the sidelines.
“It was really so I could kind of get used to my cleats again,” he said. “It felt so good, just being on our pitch again, and being able to play with these boys again. I was very rusty. We were doing a drill where we had to cross the ball to each other, and I could barely do it. But it was fun."
Loveland said he wasn’t sure how to react after he scored his goal, because he had never done it before.
“At first I just thought, ‘What I am going to do?'’” he said. “I was kind of just walking away with a smile on my face, then I heard Saif yell ‘Lets go!’ then he ran over and hugged me.”
“He had a big old smile, but he didn’t do anything super extra,” Harrell said. “He just celebrated with his teammates, like any other player would.”
Loveland brings the ball up the field for the Rockets. Photo/Joe Lane
Loveland will be on the sideline on Thursday night when the Rockets open the Division 2 district tournament with a home rematch against Muskegon.
If they win they will advance to Tuesday’s semifinals against either Coopersville or Sparta. A second victory would put them in the district title game, potentially against Fruitport, which is undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the state.
Loveland is excited about what the team might still be able to accomplish.
“I am really excited for districts,” he said. “Recently the boys have been changing their mindset more. We know we have to get the little details down if we want to beat Fruitport or other teams. We just have to clean some stuff up. The confidence is still there.”