Dave Altherr never set foot on a soccer field until six months ago.

He grew up playing baseball in community street games in Dearborn Heights before he started skipping school to smoke marijuana in the woods with his friends. Since then, he has weaved in and out of sobriety and mental wellness, often fending for himself rather than seeking help.

He first visited Ann Arbor's Project Outreach Team in 2006d. But it wasn't until last November when Altherr first visited a Street Soccer practice, opening his eyes to a new way of connecting with others.

"To see it all come back together is like a dream come true," said the 54-year-old Altherr, who will travel to Washington with Ann Arbor's Street Soccer team this weekend for the national tournament. "I did have it together for a long time, and I got sidetracked. I was back out there for 12 years off and on before I ever came to believe again that I could get help."

Ann Arbor's Street Soccer team blends a mix of personalities and life experiences, each of which has led them to PORT for one reason or another. Their weekly soccer practice not only delivers a break from hardships, but also connects them differently than other support groups, stressing trust and teamwork.

It's a bond that's strengthened during the annual pilgrimage to Washington, where local players will compete for three days against Street Soccer teams from around the country.

"It's pretty neat because not only do you see them gelling with the team, but you see their personalities and them opening up to those around them," said Sara Silvennoinen, who coaches Ann Arbor's Street Soccer team. "And when they do that, they are more willing to get help from other sources."

This weekend's trip to the Street Soccer USA national tournament is the third for Silvennoinen, who takes a different group to Washington each year. While past teams have boasted more individual talent, this year's team is the most closely knit, she said.

On this team, there is no go-to superstar, allowing the trust that's been built over time to translate into better-executed team soccer.

It's a relationship Silvennoinen sees blossom on the day-long road trip to Washington when because of limited space, players have no other choice but to get to know each other.

"(The PORT soccer program) has been an enrichment and an encouragement and it brightens my day just to participate in an activity," said Mark Douglas, who is part of a homeless tent community in Ann Arbor. "It's something that allows me to meet other people within the community."

For Altherr, the trip is another step in his road to a better life. Despite going in and out of PORT's programs over the years, he's committed to remaining on track. He has a 7-year-old daughter and continues to work through the issues that he ignored for so long. He hasn't been high since he started playing soccer and gave up smoking three weeks ago.

He no longer struggles with his self-image the way he once did, accepting the help he found at PORT, knowing it was better than the alternative.

He has a daughter he wants to see graduate and relationships that need mending.

"It's been an uphill climb," he said. "But PORT has been behind me 100 percent and I haven't always been with them 100 percent when they started with me, but they never gave up on me."

Jeff Arnold covers sports for AnnArbor.com and can be reached at (734) 623-2554 or by email at jeffarnold@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @jeffreyparnold.