Soccer Sam

My father, Sam, was the youngest surviving child of Ida and Samuel Pretty of St. John's, Newfoundland. He lost his mother by the time he was fourteen and left school shortly after. 

                Ida Pretty

The older Sam was an engineer on the railway and was away from home for days at a time. 

              Sam Pretty Sr.

Dad stayed out of trouble because of his love of soccer. Then he met my mother. 

The rest is history.

I wrote this poem about Dad for our granddaughters, Sylvie and Caitlin.

                 Soccer Sam

Some call it football

But all I can say,

Soccer was important

To Sam in his day.

 

He played in the morning,

Sam played at night.

He'd rather not school,

Now you know that's not right. 

 

          Young Sam

Then he met Mary

O'Brien was her name.

They dated, then married,

But he still played the game.

                                  Dad and Mom

He worked at the railway 

Unpacking the cars.

But still he played soccer

Even under the stars.

 

Finally one day

He played with his son.

Now he could retire

His time it was done.

                      Frank and Dad

So Sam won some trophies

For the game that he loved.

Be it football or soccer

He's still playing above.

 

                        Marie Pretty Smith

 

 

My father's story shows the importance of sport in a child's life. Dad could have strayed from a good life but he played soccer through all the difficult years of his youth. He stayed out of trouble because he was on the soccer field day and night. He was not idle, bored or involved with the wrong crowd. Dad spent every available minute playing soccer. He was lucky to have such a love of the game, and his family was lucky to have him.

         Holy Cross Championship Team 1947

          Sam Pretty, top row, 5th from the left

          Evening Telegram, April 1986