Among the 20-plus crammed on the indoor soccer field Christmas night were a middle-aged bald man and 5-year-old boy in a ºüÀêÊÓƵ City SC jersey and a woman who played college soccer and little boy in a full Messi uniform the size of, well, Messi.
And watching from the stands, along with dozens of others, was the proud papa (and grandpa and uncle and cousin, depending on who you’re talking to).
Since 2000, Al Trost and his family have gathered each Dec. 25 at Vetta Sports in Cottleville, right by St. Charles, for an annual dinner and game. Many Christmases, there are more than 100 family members in attendance. This is a unique gathering that’s distinctly ºüÀêÊÓƵ — fueled by soccer and pasta dishes.
“It’s great to see all the generations playing,†said Trost, 74. “We’ve watched this game for the last 20 (or more) years — I can remember my nieces and nephews, now in their 30s, when they played in this game as kids.â€
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Trost is ºüÀêÊÓƵ soccer royalty — he’s a former Olympian and a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame. He played for the U.S. men’s national team. A star at ºüÀêÊÓƵ University, he won multiple national titles and Hermann Trophies (soccer’s Heisman). And he played for the ºüÀêÊÓƵ Stars, the beloved NASL team in the 1970s.
“My great-nephew showed up tonight with a Pele shirt on,†Trost said. “He’s in third grade. So when I told him that I played against Pele one time (for the Stars against the New York Cosmos), he was like, ‘Oh my gosh!’â€
On Monday, the oldest family member at Vetta Sports was Trost’s brother Jim, who is 91. The youngest was Grace Dugger, who is 6 months old. The gathering was as much of a family reunion as anything — four generations coming together, some from across the ºüÀêÊÓƵ area, others from across the country. Aly Trost Martin left in the 6 p.m. hour — she had a flight home to the East Coast, where she’ll host a soccer show Tuesday morning CBS’s Golazo Network.
Before the game, there was a Christmas cacophony in the main dining area. Screeches of joy and hoots of laughter while adults drank wine and kids devoured cookies. There was an eruption when one family member announced she was pregnant — her sweatshirt read, “Eating for Two,†while her husband’s sweatshirt read, “Drinking for Three.†And another eruption when a family member, Shawn Eagan, arrived dressed in full Santa suit — with little gifts and candies for the kids.
Al Trost, with white hair and a wide smile, gleefully made the rounds, lifting up the occasional little one and passing out a plate of cups filled with frozen margaritas. His oldest son, Tim, was in Florida and couldn’t make it. But another son, Eric, was there with his family, as was Al’s daughter, Emily, and her family. They reminisced about the gatherings and games from every year in the 21st century.
Emily shared the story of her rite of passage — when an older cousin kicked a ball right at her during the game.
“And then I accidentally did it to a younger cousin in the last five years,†she said. “Passing of the torch.â€
Aly Trost beamed at the Trost family soccer Christmas, her first since 2019. She played high school soccer but recalled the day after the 2019 game: “I’ll wake up the next day and feel as if I climbed Mount Everest — so sore. I like legit could not walk the next day. And I was like, I think that’s a sign.â€
Al Trost is one of six brothers, four who are still alive and were all at Vetta on Monday — Jim, 91; Tom, 86; Walter, 80; and Al, 74.
“I think I was fortunate enough to grow up in a neighborhood in north ºüÀêÊÓƵ, where soccer is what we did,†Al Trost said. “It’s been such a big part of my life.â€
So much so, it became the theme of Christmas. Heading into 2000, the Trost family realized they just had too many relatives to comfortably host Christmas in a house. Al was coaching at one of the Vetta locations and ran this idea by the owner.
“I’ve watched my nephews and nieces grow up,†he said. “And to see them now that they’re men, trying to do the things they did when they were 16, I’ve got to laugh at them! ... And in the game, well, we always try to get the youngest players to get goals. And that happens someway, somehow. We always make that happen. Those are kind of memorable goals.â€
When the game ended, the sweaty soccer players returned to the dining area with their faces covered by smiles and winces.
“It’s been a game since before I knew — it’s almost like an honor to get to play in the game,†said Dylan Trost, 16, Eric’s son who plays soccer at CBC. “I’m having fun battling out there — like, it’s intense, though. You’re in it to win it. If you lose, everyone’s upset — we lost 2-1 this year. It was a good battle. But they disallowed my goal! ...
“It’s awesome because when I was a kid, it would always be so fun to go out there and get blasted in the face. Now I’m older and in the next generation coming up. It’s just so cool — everyone just gets along because we love the game.â€