In many parts of Canada, as soon as a boy learns how to walk, his parents give him ice skates and introduce him to the game of hockey.

In much of Germany, when an infant becomes a toddler, he gets a soccer ball rolled in front of him.Such was the case for Michael Boeres who came to Jim Thorpe in early August as a member of SHARE, a student exchange program, to live with Susan and Robert Ross until the middle of next June."I was watching soccer on TV before I can remember and I started to play on a team when I was five years old," he said. "Soccer is the biggest sport in Germany. Almost everyone plays it."Their national passion for the game was elevated this past summer when Germany won the World Cup."I watched the final on a big screen public TV and when we won, I just went crazy, screaming in the streets with everyone else," said Boeres.German influence upon American soccer is obvious too. The US World Cup team was coached by Jurgen Klinsmann, a West German soccer legend, and five of the US team's players have German origin, all sons of servicemen and German mothers. These players have spent almost there entire lives in Germany." I also grew up in Germany and lived there until I was 19 years old," said Susan Ross. "I had already known Michael's mother so the transition from his family to ours was a comfortable one for both of us."Comfortable perhaps, but simple was another matter. The exchange program utilizes a process similar to an adoption agency whereas the host family must pass specific reviews and meet stringent conditions. It begins with background checks, then it continues with home visits and interviews with exchange agents."They even asked us to send them pictures of our cats," Susan said with a laugh.To prevent homesickness, Boeres is allowed limited contact with his own family."I get to skype with them every other weekend for an hour. That's fine with me because with school and soccer I always have lots to do."There are also specific rules that prohibit athletic foreign students from living with coaches or sports-involved families."I've never been a fan of soccer," claimed Susan. "Michael has taught me all the rules so we can understand the game when we see him play."Susan speaks of a significant cultural difference between the two countries in regard to teen behaviors off the field."In Germany, teens are expected to mature faster and become responsible much younger than they do here. At age 14, they must decide to continue schooling or enter the workforce, At 16, they can drink and go to clubs, but they are expected to act formally and with responsible behavior."Back on the soccer field, Jim Thorpe coach Tony Dixon says that Boere's 11 years of experience playing in Germany have accelerated his skill level."He plays all the time every game," said Dixon. "Michael is very good defensively and there is no panic when he gets the ball. He's got a great soccer mind; he knows what to do and when to do it. I wish I had him for two more years."Boeres contends that in Germany, soccer games are more physical than those played here."What is called a foul here would not be a foul in Germany," he said, alluding to the act of pushing or forceful contact initiated from one player upon another.He prefers to play defense and "stop the other team," but he enjoyed scoring his only goal as a midfielder earlier this season in a game against North Schuylkill.When not playing the game he loves, Boeres likes going to Jim Thorpe High School, which he believes fosters better teacher-student relationships than the schools do in his home country."I love to learn more English," he said. "Even in Math class, our teacher tells us an English word of the day and then I get to teach the class how to say it in German. Back home, no time would be allowed for such an activity because the teacher must stay strictly with the lesson that has to be taught."Ironically, Boeres, age 16, is classified as a senior in JT and will graduate in June, but when he returns to Germany he will have to complete two more years before he gets his diploma there.When asked what he will take back home after his experience here, he says that it's making friends as well as embracing the team spirit of his Olympian team, which is lacking in his native land because of the regimentation of the players who perform with a more workmanlike approach.When asked what else he wants to take with him that is not soccer related, he responded in one word."Bacon," he said with serious tone in his voice.Come next June, Michael Boeres will indeed "bring home the bacon," but on his plate will also be a collection of soccer game stories and newly formed friendships that he will cherish for a lifetime.**********ALL IN THE FAMILY - Marian and Mahanoy Area played a game of "Family Feud" on Wednesday night in a volleyball match that starred the Fallabel family. On one bench, you had John "Doc" Fallabel, head coach of the defending PIAA Class A State Champion Marian Fillies. On the other bench, you had Chris Fallabel (Doc's son and first-year head coach of the Mahanoy Area Lady Bears). Chris's sister, Maria Currie, assists her father as an assistant coach for Marian, while Mahanoy Area's athletic trainer is Orlando Currie, Maria's husband. Marian defeated Mahanoy Area in three games, 25-10, 25-10, 25-18.**********A BROKEN RECORD - With last night's 4-0 victory over Jim Thorpe, the Lehighton boys soccer team set a new school record for wins in a season (currently 13-3). The previous school record was 12 wins, established last season.**********LEAGUE LEADERS - Speaking of the Lehighton boys soccer team, the Indians made quite a first impression in their inaugural season in the Schuylkill League. With a 10-0 victory over North Schuylkill on Thursday, the Tribe clinched a berth in next week's Schuylkill League playoffs. Lehighton (the Division I wildcard) will square off against Division II champion Schuylkill Haven on Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 5 p.m. at Blue Mountain High School. Other Times News area teams that have already qualified for their respective league playoffs are the Marian volleyball team (Schuylkill League playoffs), the Northern Lehigh field hockey team (Colonial League playoffs), and the Northwestern girls soccer team (Colonial League playoffs). The Northwestern boys soccer team can also secure a spot in the Colonial League playoffs with a win today over Catasauqua AND a Salisbury victory over Southern Lehigh.**********THE 500 CLUB - Marian middle hitter Abby Stankiewitch became the latest Marian volleyball player to reach a milestone, as the junior eclipsed 500 career kills in the third game of Monday's match against Northwestern. Stankiewitch tallied 10 kills against the Lady Tigers and currently has 508 kills in her career.**********GOOAAALLLL - This week saw four more hat tricks recorded by Times News area soccer players. It's become a weekly occurrence for Palmerton's Monica Wood who recorded her Times News-leading fifth hat trick of the season with four goals in a 5-2 win over Jim Thorpe last Wednesday. Northwestern's Sarah Segan picked up her fourth hat trick of the year by tallying four goals in an 8-1 win over Palisades on Thursday. Lehighton's Allison Andrew also scored four goals in Saturday's 5-2 victory over Tamaqua, while Lehighton's Zach Christoff recorded four goals in Thursday's 10-0 win over North Schuylkill. Weatherly's Jake Stover (3 goals in a 6-5 double-overtime loss to Tri-Valley) and Jim Thorpe's Rebecca Cressman (3 goals in a 10-0 win over North Schuylkill) also supplied "hat tricks" for their teams this past week.**********LOSING ISN'T AN OPTION - The Northwestern girls cross country team capped off its fourth straight undefeated season yesterday afternoon by sweeping Moravian Academy, Palisades, Saucon Valley and Notre Dame of Green Pond. With the wins, Northwestern finished a perfect 24-0 on the year and has extended its dual meet winning streak to 102 races. The last time the Lady Tigers suffered a cross country loss was Oct. 13, 2010, when Notre Dame of Green Pond defeated Northwestern by a final score of 26-29. In addition to Northwestern's unblemished record, the Jim Thorpe boys cross country team has yet to lose this season (10-0) and the Marian volleyball team is a perfect 17-0 on the season. The Fillies will try to cap off a perfect 18-0 undefeated regular season later tonight when they host Panther Valley.**********DISTRICT BOUND - In last week's Notebook, we recognized 10 TN teams that had already qualified for the District 11 playoffs. This past week, four more punched their tickets to the postseason. The Lehighton and Palmerton girls soccer teams both qualified, while the Pleasant Valley boys soccer team and the Pleasant Valley volleyball team also extended their seasons. The four teams will join Marian golf, Tamaqua and Pleasant Valley tennis, Northern Lehigh field hockey, Northwestern girls soccer, Lehighton and Northwestern boys soccer, and Lehighton, Panther Valley and Marian volleyball in the D-11 playoffs.