Buchach's Gleason lands D1 soccer scholarship

ATWATER — In about a year, this McSwain home, once bustling and crowded with cleats and balls and shinguards and socks, will be as quiet and tidy as a library.

And the heads of the household, Timothy and Pam Gleason, will be on the verge of an empty nest.

Another Gleason child is ticketed for a four-year university, accomplishing a rare feat for a family used to rare accomplishments on the pitch:

Three children playing Division-I soccer on scholarship.

"It will be a quiet house," said Pam, whose youngest Beckham is in third grade. "Just one more year. We're down to two kids now and the countdown is on."

For Tanner, a 17-year-old senior at Buhach Colony, the hard part is over.

After years of chasing their accolades and living in their enormous shadows, Tanner will make the jump to Seattle University in the fall of 2011, leveling the playing field with his much-ballyhooed older siblings.

The oldest, Drew, once part of a national championship team at UC Santa Barbara, is now a senior defender at UNLV.

Sister Aly is a redshirt freshman goalie at Stanford, battling for playing with three other backups at one of the top programs in the nation.

Sibling rivalry has already begun amongst the boys. Drew's Runnin' Rebels compete in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation — the same conference Seattle University joins this fall.

"Me and my brother, we've been doing a little trash-talking," Tanner said. "You know, I've been telling him how we're going to beat his team."

Tanner gave head coach Brad Agoos his verbal commitment last Tuesday, choosing a burgeoning program in the Pacific Northwest over a bevy of West Coast schools.

He will sign his national letter of intent in November, formally accepting an athletic- and merit-based scholarship.

When he does so, he'll be the first Buhach Colony boys soccer player to earn a Division-I scholarship since...

Well, Drew in 2005.

That's fitting, said Buhach Colony varsity head coach Josh Newton.

"He's definitely deserving of playing at the next level," Newton said of Tanner, his star pupil the last two seasons. "He's got all the qualities. He's passionate about soccer and passionate about training, too. He's always working and that will help him as he goes on."

The lanky midfielder turned down a host of suitors to help Seattle University, a former NAIA and Division II national champion, transition to the Division I level.

UNLV, UC Davis, Cal Poly and Oregon State all expressed interest in the midfielder. University of San Francisco had an offer on the table.

Tanner first landed on the Redhawks' radar last December during the university's ID camp.

"I guess they liked how I played," he said.

His is a familiar brand of soccer for area fans who watched Drew and Aly ascend to the highest levels of youth soccer.

Blessed with a deft touch and vision, Tanner plays for Burlingame Juventus of San Francisco and is a guest player for Washington Premier.

However, he credits a lot of his talent and drive to backyard games and second-hand experiences.

"We've always been a competitive family at home, just playing in the backyard," Tanner said.

"When Drew was home, we'd always practice together. Going to all of the (Olympic Development Program) games and college games, juggling and doing all that stuff allowed me to compare myself to older players. Eventually, I said to myself that I could become a Division I player. I worked at it and...

"Here I am."

Odds are he won't be the last, either.

The Gleasons have another soccer player in training with a name that should make goalies cringe — 8-year-old Beckham.

"We're going to have a lull for a couple of years, but they have another one," Newton said. "And his name is Beckham, so he must be good."

James Burns is managing editor/sports editor of the Sun-Star. He can be reached at jburns@mercedsun-star.com.