They knew Travis Kelce from youth soccer. Now visiting KC, they wish him well
With days to go before Travis Kelce’s reported wedding ceremony with Taylor Swift, an old connection to the Chiefs tight end shared what it was like coaching him as a child.
Merzouk Toumert was born in Algeria but moved to Cleveland with his family when he was young and has been there for the past 45 years. He and his sons, Alek and Noah, were among the 69,045 fans in attendance at Arrowhead Stadium for the final FIFA World Cup group stage match between Algeria and Austria on Saturday, June 28.
As many fathers do when their kids are young, Merzouk Toumert became the head coaches of his kids’ club sports teams. Merzouk took on the tough responsibility of coaching a bunch of rambunctious kids (including Alek) on the Eastside Kickers club in Cleveland Heights.
Who else was on that team? None other than Kelce, who lived in the same neighborhood as the Toumerts.
“He was a great kid, and the parents were fantastic,” Merzouk Toumert said. “They were always there at his games, but you know at that age (8-12 years old), they were all knuckleheads.”
Merzouk Toumert coached Kelce on the soccer team for four years, and he said that the future Pro Football Hall of Famer was very athletic at that age and fun to coach.
Kelce’s knucklehead antics
Along with soccer, Kelce played every sport growing up with Alek Toumert, including lacrosse, basketball and baseball. Alek, who’s been to Arrowhead multiple times to watch Kelce in action, remembered a funny interaction between Kelce and his dad during practice.
Alek Toumert said that although his dad wasn’t the biggest guy, he was a strict coach. As his father was trying to get everyone on the field to stop playing so he could correct them on the technique, Kelce decided to keep playing and accidentally kicked the ball at Merzouk’s head, hitting him in the process.
“My dad turned around, saw who kicked it and he was like ‘I’m not going to do anything. This guy is as big as me,’” Alek Tourmet said.
The elder Toumert didn’t remember if it was for a game or for practice, but he said there was one time Kelce showed up without cleats. Merzouk Toumert understandably questioned him as to how he left his cleats at home, but all Kelce gave was the classic kid excuse of “I forgot.”
Luckily for Kelce, his coach had a solution.
“I said ‘OK, you know Mrs. Toumert, my wife?” he said. “She’s sitting in a van. Go ask her to give you her tennis shoes. You can play in those.”
He walked over to her, asked for the shoes and a few minutes later he came back ready to play.
The Toumerts are very proud of everything’s Kelce has accomplished and how he represents Cleveland Heights. They’ve supported him from afar every step of the way, and said they’re excited for him, his family and his friends to celebrate the marriage between him and Swift taking place over the Fourth of July weekend.
“We’re really thrilled for them,” Merzouk Toumert said. “Congratulations to the both of them.”
