Wiesbaden’s Waldron grew into position as team hit higher gear

Wiesbaden goalkeeper Ty Waldron leaps to grab a corner ahead of Stuttgart winger Cristian McGinnis during the Division I boys final at the 2026 DODEA soccer championships on May 21, 2026, at Ramstein High School on Ramstein Air Base, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Wiesbaden assistant coach Duane Stine watched in horror at what looked like two-thirds of the net being open during the Division I title match at the 2026 DODEA European soccer championships.

As a Stuttgart player shot the ball toward the empty space, though, goalkeeper Ty Waldron came out of nowhere to get a paw on it, knocking it away to preserve the team’s one-goal advantage.

This is the type of save Waldron, in just his second season playing the sport, might not have made last year. And the junior keeper credited a piece of advice from former player Evan Cook about reaching for every shot.

“Always think, ‘I need to go get that,’” Waldron said. “If you don’t know if you can make it or not, just try anyways because you can surprise yourself.

“That helped me get comfortable just reacting.”

Waldron’s growth was a factor in the Warriors ending their decadeslong trophy drought in boys soccer.

The tournament MVP helped his team claim five shutouts over their 12 matches. Two clean sheets came in the tournament, including the 1-0 victory in the final vs. the Panthers at Ramstein High School.

Because of his efforts, Waldron has been named Stars and Stripes’ DODEA-Europe boys soccer Athlete of the Year.

A right winger in hockey before moving to Germany two years ago, Waldron joined the program thanks to a friend who played. Waldron tried out at goalkeeper because the Warriors had a shortage in the position and his friend pointed out his height and athleticism.

In 15 months, he went from a soccer novice cutting his teeth with the JV squad to manning the net for the European-winning varsity program.

“His athleticism has always been there,” Stine said. “Getting him to understand the game and apply the concepts that he has – diving, using his hands in the right moments whether it’s punching, catching – has been some of his biggest growth points. It’s the confidence to use those tools.”

Waldron said he enjoyed the position immediately, and he credited the explosive power in his legs from his time skating for helping with his lateral movement and diving.

He also enjoys the trust he has gained from his teammates via his big-time saves.

“You’re the last line of defense,” Waldron said. “Being there to bail out the team is a good feeling with they need it.”

Not that the son of Trisha and Joshua Waldron lets anything get to his head, though.

It doesn’t matter the situation – he stays even-keeled, with his mind focused on the next play.

“That’s one thing I do well: playing pretty levelheaded the whole game,” Waldron said. “Even after a good save or a mistake, I try to stay calm the whole game.”

Considering he’s still relatively new to soccer, Waldron has plenty of room to grow before his senior season.

Waldron will be playing with Wiesbaden’s first boys volleyball team in the fall as an outside or right-side hitter, but outside of that, he will focus on goalkeeping.

The biggest feedback Waldron got from most of his teammates was he needed to communicate more. Stine said this spring was an improvement from Waldron’s first soccer campaign, where the coach maybe heard five words through from the keeper.

Stine said he expects to hear a lot more out of Waldron in 2027.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if next year we see a Ty that his voice should be projecting across the field and helping dictate and move some of the phases of play for us,” Stine said.