the game which Smith's father, Ian, played for New Zealand -- but soccer proved to be the University of West Virginia standout's sport of choice and the second year MLS forward is now looking to help Sounders FC in their push for the playoffs.
Also taking part in this year's Confederations Cup is Toronto FC's Marvell Wynne -- the son of Marvell Wynne Sr., a former Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and Pittsburgh Pirates baseball player. Now in his third season in MLS, the younger Wynne, 23, has cemented himself into Toronto FC's backline and his U.S. national team involvement.
Also sharing their names with their former professional athlete fathers are Danny O'Rourke and Jonathan (Nate) Jaqua. Both Dan O'Rourke and Jon Jaqua played professional football. O'Rourke was a wide receiver for the Houston Oilers, while Jaqua was a safety for the Washington Redskins before a serious injury ended his career prematurely. Worried about the prospect of seeing her two sons sustain similar injuries, Jon Jaqua's wife was happy to see her boys, Josh and Nate, take up soccer.
"My dad got kind of beat up playing football and couldn't keep playing," said Jaqua. "My mom kind of turned us away from playing football. But by the time I was old enough to even make that decision I was already hooked on soccer anyway.
"My older brother started playing soccer and I did whatever he did," Jaqua continued. "My dad never played soccer but he's actually gotten really into it over the years. I think now he watches more soccer than I do."
Jon Jaqua is one of four existing MLS fathers who has had to learn to love soccer through their sons, and it seems he has been won over by the game his sons fell for.
"(My dad) really likes the physical side of soccer, so anytime I make a good tackle or I smash into somebody, he likes that a lot," said Jaqua. "I don't think (my mom) really realized how physical soccer is, once you get to a high level."
Marvell Wynne Sr., Dan O'Rourke and Jon Jaqua gave their sons more than just their first names. Along with Ian Smith, Driss Ballouchy, Daniel "Dot" Borman, Kenny Cooper Sr., Andranik Eskandarian, Tony Igwe, Cheriff Kandji, Fran O'Brien, Tim Twellman and Norman Wingert, these men gave their sons the genes needed to play top-flight professional soccer.
Still, Nate Jaqua feels that he gained even more from having a professional athlete for a father.
"It makes it hit home," said Jaqua. "It makes you think that becoming a professional athlete is something that's possible. I was never lucky enough to see my dad play, but just hearing his stories made me feel like 'OK, this is something that I can do.' It made playing professional soccer feel like a more realistic goal, instead of a pipe dream."
As North America becomes more and more diverse, so do its families and the sports they play. Major League Soccer is benefiting from the blend of sporting backgrounds found in the league's families today, and hopes that the 14 sons of professional athletes in MLS today will themselves become "soccer dads" to players of the future.
The soccer dads:
Driss Ballouchy
-- father of Colorado Rapids midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy; played professionally in France.
Daniel "Dot" Borman -- father of New York Red Bulls midfielder Danleigh Borman; played professionally in South Africa.
Kenny Cooper Sr. -- father of FC Dallas forward Kenny Cooper Jr.; played professionally for Blackburn Rovers in England and in the NASL for the Dallas Tornado.
Andranik Eskandarian -- father of Chivas USA forward Alecko Eskandarian; played professionally in the NASL for the New York Cosmos and played for Iran in the 1978 World Cup.
Tony Igwe -- father of New England Revolution defender Amaechi Igwe; played for Nigeria in the 1968 Olympic Games.
Cheriff Kandji -- father of New York Red Bulls forward Macoumba Kandji; played for the Senegal national team.
Fran O'Brien -- father of Colorado Rapids defender Ciaran O'Brien and Seattle Sounders FC midfielder Leighton O'Brien; played professionally in Ireland and in the NASL for the Philadelphia Fury, Montreal Manic and Vancouver Whitecaps (was also capped four times by the Irish national team).
Tim Twellman -- father of New England Revolution forward Taylor Twellman; played professionally in the NASL for the Minnesota Kicks, Tulsa Roughnecks and Chicago Sting.
Norman Wingert -- father of Real Salt Lake defender Chris Wingert; played professionally in the NASL for the Philadelphia Atoms.
The non-soccer dads:
Jon Jaqua
-- father of Seattle Sounders FC forward Nate Jaqua; played professional football for the Washington Redskins.
Dan O'Rourke -- father of Columbus Crew defender Danny O'Rourke; played professional football for the Houston Oilers.
Ian Smith -- father of Seattle Sounders FC forward Jarrod Smith; played professional cricket in New Zealand.
Marvell Wynne Sr. -- father of Toronto FC defender Marvell Wynne I; played professional baseball for the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres and Pittsburgh Pirates.
