TicketsOct. 6, 2010
By Dave Malaska
GoBEARCATS.com
When the UC men's soccer team takes to the pitch, there are plenty of fans in the stands. Still more follow the Bearcats' online gamecasts or the occasional video from Gettler Stadium.
Few, though, are probably watching with the matched interest -- or distance from the field -- as John and Patricia Weightman, glued to UC's games until the wee hours of the morning on their computer from their home in Lanark, Scotland.
For 7 p.m. kickoffs in Cincinnati, the five-hour time zone difference means a midnight start for their gamecast, and a night of following UC's progress until 3 a.m. GMT.
"Those are the nights we don't get much sleep," admits John, "but we wouldn't miss one, even if it means just waiting for a score until half-past two or three in the morning."
For the Weightmans, the reason is simple. After watching their youngest son, UC senior Nick Weightman, chase his soccer dreams to America, it's the only way to see his games.
Raising their three children in Lanark, a suburb about a half-hour outside of Glasgow, the Weightmans figured Nick was going to lead an unusual life. Nick was always trying to keep up with his brother, who is three years older; as far back as they can remember.
"Everything he did, he did at a 100 miles per hour. He also had what I'd call a high pain threshold as a boy, so he was always getting his bumps and scrapes. Since he was three, he was always throwing himself into things," remembers John.
So, it was little surprise when Nick took to soccer -- virtually a religion in Scotland -- with the same enthusiasm. Lanark is a hotbed of soccer, having fielded some of the UK's top players despite its small population of only 9,000, from Glasgow Celtics keeper Rab Douglas to Middlesbrough FC striker defender Stephen McManus. Nick quickly became part of the local soccer lore, being selected for the Scotland under-17 and under-19 national teams, and being Hibernian FC's leading scorer with 69 goals over three seasons.
But soon he found himself at a crossroads.
"In Scotland, there's a choice at that point. You can either go on to pursue soccer professionally, getting recruited by the professional clubs from Europe or Australia, or you can go to university," Nick says. "I was keen on continuing my education. America is one of the only places where you can go to school and still play soccer seriously."
The draw of living in America won over, even if there were some familial misgivings.
"When I first decided, I was keen on giving it a shot, but I think my family and some of my friends weren't sure how long I'd last," says Nick.
But his parents supported his decision to sign with Webber International, an NAIA school in central Florida.
"We were excited for him, though maybe he was young to be going out on his own like that," says John Weightman. "He was always a sensible lad, and it seemed like a great adventure for him. His mom was probably a little more worried than I was, but we thought it was a great opportunity for him."
Months later, home for Christmas, the future Bearcat had to admit that he may have made a mistake. Though he went on to earn NAIA All-American honors, recording 39 points to lead the Florida Sun Conference in 2007, the culture shock of the Disney-centric and Florida bustle seemed a bit much. On top of the fish-out-of-water feeling was the fact that, because international calls were costly and a hassle, he would go months without talking to his family.
"That was the hard part, not knowing what was going on at home. My parents would tell me that my bother had gotten a promotion, and I didn't even know he was up for one. Or my sister had broken up with her boyfriend, and I didn't know she had a boyfriend," says Weightman. "I was completely removed from everything."
It was a lonely time for Weightman.
So, that Christmas, he was forced to admit it to his parents: "Florida was just too much -- too different."
Still convinced that he wanted to return to America, though, he then got word that Cincinnati was interested in him. It was a strange turn of events, Weightman says. When he was first looking at American universities, a friend showed him a Cincinnati media guide.
"He told me 'This is what America could be like.' When I was leaving Webber and heard Cincinnati was interested, I remembered that. I was sure that's where I wanted to go," explains Weightman.
For the Bearcats' part, UC head coach Hylton Dayes was eager to sign the "soccer-smart" Scot.
Clearly a talent, Dayes says that the thing that impressed him the most about Weightman was the innate intelligence he showed on the pitch.
"He's got a great soccer brain," adds the coach. "Nick's sort of a finesse player, a technical player. He's a very skilled player, creative. He thinks the game better than anyone I'd seen in a long time. He knew how to move the ball, who needs to get the ball. He's just very 'soccer-smart.'"
Ultimately, Weightman proved not only to be a good fit for the Bearcats -- starting all 15 matches as a sophomore and leading the team with 55 shots -- but for Cincinnati as well. While leading the team in assists as a junior, finishing second in scoring, he was finding the charm of Cincinnati. It was a big city with small-town feel, he says, reminiscent of Glasgow or Edinburgh.
And, with the coming of internet calling service Skype, he got to talk to his mom and dad more often. His whole family has made to trek to Cincinnati to see games in person. He also goes online to watch YouTube videos of his friends playing in the European leagues and for home television staples for reminders of home, which now seems not so far away.
Now, after four years in the States, he's thinking of staying after he finishes this season and gets his degree in finance from UC. Even though his father teases him from time to time for sounding like an American ("You probably don't hear it because he still has a pretty thick accent, but we notice it," jokes John Weightman), Nick weathers the notoriety of being a Scotsman in America with a shrug.
"I still get the goose from people about kilts and such," he laughs. "The bagpipes, too. But, when you hear the Scottish national anthem on the bagpipes, it's like hearing a great singer for me. I guess you have to be from Scotland, and understand the history and the culture behind it all to really enjoy it."
With only a few weeks left in the season, Weightman continues to shine on Cincinnati's front line. And, on October 30, his parents might miss their first gamecast of the season. Instead of being glued to the computer screen late into the Scottish night, John Weightman says he's taking the 11-hour transatlantic flight to be in the stands at Gettler Stadium. Patricia, a teacher, is still trying to get the time off from work to be there, as well.
"It'll be an emotional night," he says. "We've been watching him play soccer since he was six years old. When you have kids, it's even more fun watching him than doing it yourself, and to see him doing so well."
For Nick, it'll be just as emotional.
"My parents have done everything for me. They made playing soccer and coming to the States possible for me, and for them to be able to come and see me finishing it off, and get to spend some time with them afterward, it'll be perfect," he says.