Kareem Ihmeidan is continuing on his family’s tradition of playing soccer.

He’s following the path of his four older siblings, two brothers and two sisters, all of whom played the sport. Also, his brother-in-law Moodie Ihmeidan is the boys’ coach at Southside.

There’s one difference, though: His older siblings all played at Southside, whereas Kareem is instead at Northside.

“My whole family, it kind of revolves all around soccer,” Ihmeidan, a senior co-captain and three-year starter for the Grizzlies, said.

While growing up watching his older siblings, Kareem thought he, too, would wear a Southside uniform, just like they did. But his father, current Northside assistant coach and former Southside assistant Ismail Ihmeidan, switched schools when head coach Mauricio Maciel did the same, going from Southside to Northside prior to the 2013 season.

Interestingly enough, Kareem actually didn’t play soccer at that time, playing basketball instead while in junior high. But he decided to take up soccer after Maciel and Ismail Ihmeidan’s move to Northside.

Of course, because of his last name and his father’s role with the team, Kareem had to prove that he belonged on the Grizzlies’ roster. Plus, he pointed out he hasn’t received any special treatment from his father.

“My dad is definitely tough on me, especially at home,” Kareem said. “He’ll criticize me a lot more than other players think. ... Coach (Maciel) told me that when he first picked me up on the team, especially when I became a starter, he said players are going to think that you are where you’re at because your dad’s one of the coaches, and he said you have to prove them wrong, you have to try harder than everybody else to kill that doubt in their mind.

“When coach (Maciel) told me that, that kind of motivated me, that I have to be better and work a little harder so there’s no doubt in people’s minds.”

Kareem Ihmeidan became a starter his sophomore year, and even started in Northside’s 7A state championship match. This season, he has exceeded his goal total, having scored six after having three as a junior.

“The importance of his goals have been big for us,” Maciel said. “They have come at good times, putting games away, and so (it has been) goals of that nature.”

Maciel also raved about Ihmeidan’s leadership abilities, a main reason he is a co-captain on the team.

“His leadership definitely keeps this team together,” Maciel said. “He’s a true leader; as a matter of fact, very vocal and he tries to keep everybody level-headed. I know in crucial times, he’s been a big factor. ... For the most part, he’s very vocal, and the kids know that whenever he raises his voice a little bit, he means business and it’s time to go.”

In the middle of the 7A-Central stretch, Ihmeidan had to make another adjustment as he moved from right outside back to the midfield.

“We had him playing right outside and he was really not having that much success although we know that he can be a good player,” Maciel said. “But I think in the end, the switch to put him to center mid was a win-win not only for us but for him, although right outside was one of his main positions.”

Ihmeidan’s move to the midfield began with Northside’s road match at Conway on March 31. He scored a goal as the Grizzlies won, and they haven’t lost since, having reeled off six straight wins.

“He has been a big factor in the streak we are in right now because with his size and with his ball control, we have been able to control matches a little easier than before,” Maciel said.

Today, Northside has a big 7A-Central match at Little Rock Catholic with first place at stake. Both the Grizzlies (14-2) and Catholic sport 8-1 conference records, and Northside’s lone 7A-Central defeat came at home to Catholic.

“If our kids play their game, we all know we can beat them, but we’ve got to do just that (play our game),” Maciel said. “It’s easier said than done, but we know that we have the roster that if we just really, really focus on this game and stay level-headed, we can definitely win that game (today).”

Ihmeidan carries a 3.6 grade-point average and plans to attend the University of Tulsa to major in environmental policy with a minor in political science.

As the last of the soccer-playing Ihmeidan siblings, Kareem wants to do what his older siblings were unable to do, win a state title as a player. The Grizzlies lost in the state title match his sophomore season.

Northside lost some key seniors from last season’s team, and the Grizzlies may not have been on the radar of 7A state title contenders entering the 2017 season. Although Northside has turned in a surprising season, Ihmeidan doesn’t buy the notion the Grizzlies have overachieved up to this point.

“I don’t think we’ve overachieved at all,” he said. “We have heart, and that’s something you can’t buy or coach, that’s just something you have from within, and I think as a leader, you have to show that, that even though we may not have as much ta
