Mansch: A special soccer father-daughter relationship

Eme McLaughlin has been active in sports for most of her 16 years, so we're talking about hundreds of games and races. Sometimes she competed without her father on the sidelines.

But no more.

"Stuff that you would've missed before," said Jeff McLaughlin, "you don't miss anymore. You reevaluate everything, that's for sure."

The reason? The bladder cancer that was detected a few years ago.

"It changes things," said Jeff.

Eme will be 17 in August and this fall will be a senior at C.M. Russell High. She can outrun her problems and suppress any fears about the opposition on the soccer field. But her dad's illness was a different foe.

"I remember I found out about 30 minutes before I had practice one day when I was a freshman," she said.

Then she paused for a second.

"Soccer helps me deal with everything," she said. "It helps me forget about things."

Eme forced a smile.

"He got sick a few years ago and none of us were expecting it," she said. "But he fought through it. He's a tough man."

Another small smile.

"It's awful," she said, "how bad things like that bring you closer together. Our family (including mom Jennifer and brother McCoy) is super close."

Jeff, 47, works for the state of Montana. He's the District 3 Captain for Motor Carrier Services. The Ulm native and former multi-sport athlete at Cascade High is fit. He played baseball for the Great Falls Chargers program and briefly was on the ball team at the University of Colorado.

And until a few years ago, Jeff was a soccer coach and ski instructor at Showdown. The dire diagnosis was a shock.

"It is what it is," he said. "They took some stuff out and I'm doing OK."

Eme, a two-time Tribune Super-State soccer star, is a swift athlete with plenty of tenacity. She plays with a purpose. It's not difficult to figure out what it is, either.

"I definitely worry about him a lot," she said softly. "My dad is always on my mind. It makes me nervous whenever he gets super tired."

Then she nodded her head slightly.

"I like seeing him happy after I have a good game," Eme said. "He's always waiting there on the sidelines, so that's kind of cool.

"I'm blessed to have him here. He's the main reason I've done well in soccer and everything else. He's always pushed us."

Eme showed athletic prowess at a young age. She was an excellent skier and loved to race mountain bikes.

"I tried basketball, but my hand-eye coordination is awful," she laughed. "I ski raced up until seventh grade and got hurt (ACL knee injury). So that was the end of that."

Now soccer is her sport. Last fall she announced that she planned to accept a soccer scholarship from the University of Great Falls.

It seemed early for the then-junior to make that known. Was it to make sure her father knew?

"I stayed out of that decision," Jeff said. "I told her to make sure she was choosing a college for her, and not for me. But it will be nice to have her playing in Great Falls so I can go to all the games. And Brian (UGF coach Clarke) does an excellent job. Eme respects him."

Clearly, this father-daughter relationship in special.

"Her and I are a lot alike," said Jeff, who coached Eme on club teams up until last year. "I love her brother to death. He's a good kid. But I just couldn't coach him. We have a great relationship, but I had had others coach him."

Not so with Eme, who has always been a prodigy on the pitch.

"She's always just got it," Jeff said. "When she was 5 years old she was scoring 10, 15 goals a game. I don't know how to explain it; she just got it. She sees things other kids don't see. There's a lot of kids as athletic as her, but she just gets it. She sees the opportunities to score."

There's another factor in her favor, too.

"She's fearless," said Jeff. "That doesn't hurt her, either. We've had a lot of wrecks between ski racing, mountain bike racing, soccer … She crashes sometimes, but there's a lot of drive there, for sure."

Eme has led the state of Montana in scoring the last two years, tallying 19 goals each season. That's certainly a source of pride for Jeff.

"Yes. It makes me feel complete," Jeff said. "And her brother (McCoy), too. He's been on the same path. He plays college soccer in Idaho and has been a volunteer, too."

Eme's mother, Jennifer, suggested they do a little volunteering at the Rescue Mission a few years ago. Eme agreed, which is no surprise to folks who know her.

"She's a good kid. It's how she's built," Jeff said.

"They're so appreciative," Eme said. "Every time you give them food they say thank you like five times. It was cool to be there and help. It made me feel good."

And Jeff's health these days? He says not to worry.

"They bring me in every three months and do their thing," Jeff said. "And nothing new has come back. So far so good."

Father's Day will be good for Jeff.

"Yes," he said. "I'll be watching soccer. Eme will be playing in the state tournament (with a club team from Missoula)."

Certainly, scoring goals has always been the focus for Eme. Now the goal is to please her father as often as possible. It was suggested that if she had to go on without her father, she would.

"I'd rather not," Eme said with a slight smile.

Then her expression turned serious.

"I'm a daddy's girl," Eme said. "He's a big part of my life. And we have to stay together."

Scott Mansch is the Great Falls Tribune's Sports Columnist and can be reached at 791-1481 or smansch@greatfallstribune.com. Follow him on Twitter @GFTrib_SMansch