When he was 6 years old, Daniel Tackling told his father he wanted to become a professional soccer player one day.

Those childhood dreams eventually fade for most budding athletes, but the Ooltewah High School senior is one of the few who will have the opportunity to make his a reality.

Tackling hopes his career with the Owls will continue through next week’s state tournament, but with his typical vision, the midfielder is already looking ahead to even bigger goals. Although plenty of college coaches would love to have him on their rosters this fall, Tackling hopes his upcoming tryouts with two European teams will be the starting point for a pro career.

“It’s kind of nerve-racking,” he said. “I’ve never been over there, and I’m not really sure what to expect and how good the level of play is going to be. It could be life-changing. I’m not really sure where I’ll end up, but it definitely feels good to have the opportunity to aim for something so high.”

Tackling has been aiming at soccer goals since he first became intrigued by his older brother’s backyard net as a toddler. It didn’t take long for his natural ability to become obvious.

“Daniel was a 2 1/2-year-old running around kicking and dribbling the ball,” said his father, Gary, a highly respected youth coach. “He had to wait until he was 4 to play, and as soon as he started in the rec league, he was always way above even the kids who were two years older than him.”

Because of his advanced skills, Tackling played on teams with older players for most of his select soccer career. He has been on Olympic Development Program teams the last five years and helped his state ODP team qualify for the national tournament in 2006.

It was no surprise when Tackling became a starter his freshman season at Ooltewah, and he helped the Owls reach the state tournament as a sophomore. After struggling with an ankle injury most of last season, he leads the team with nine goals this year, but scoring isn’t Tackling’s top priority.

The attention he draws — sometimes three defenders at a time — leaves his teammates open, and Tackling always seems to know when and where to find them.

“He is our leading scorer, but that’s not where he’s helping us the most,” Ooltewah coach Rick Adolph said. “There aren’t many players who can go at the other team and draw that much attention. There’s a couple guys that periodically can break the defense down individually, but he’s one who can do it consistently, and so it really creates so much for your teammates.

“He’s one that the other guys can count on to always be there. He’s working so hard that he’s always open, and he’s always available. It just helps us as a team because whenever we’ve got pressure, wherever we are, he’s working to get open. His work rate off the ball is just tremendous.”

His ability to recognize defensive pressure helps Tackling know when to keep the ball and when to distribute it, and his quickness and decision-making have led to 17 assists this season. Those attributes also led to a high rating at the InfoSport Pro Soccer Combine last January in Orlando, Fla.

Despite being the youngest player at the combine, Tackling held his own against NCAA and professional players.

“They told him he had the ability to play MLS, but they would like to see him go play NCAA Division I,” Gary Tackling said. “In Europe, they think differently. They’d love to get a guy earlier and develop him to their style. I’d rather see him in Europe because of his skills. He uses both feet, and he’s extremely fast. He plays more of a finesse game, and I think he’d fit in more in Europe, but whatever happens, it’s his choice.”

Tackling will leave May 28 for a two-week trip to Germany and France, where he’ll scrimmage with and against the pros. The clubs could sign him or invite him to join their developmental teams, and his high school coach said either option would be a remarkable feat.

“There are so few kids who can come out of high school and get that opportunity,” Adolph said. “There’s less than half a handful of kids in Tennessee who’ve even excelled in the region ODP. It’s great for the Chattanooga area and for Tennessee, but also for Ooltewah. To play professionally out of high school is difficult, and not too many people get that chance. Soccer will do well for him, but he’ll do well in whatever he does because he’s got that determination, responsibility and character.”

Tackling has also received a scholarship offer from the newly formed Division I soccer program at East Tennessee State University, an option he’ll wait to consider until he returns from Europe.

And although any future plans must take a back seat to his present goal of extending Ooltewah’s playoff run through Tuesday night’s Region 3-AAA semifinal against Cleveland, Tackling knows his lifelong dream is just a few weeks and a few thousand miles away.

“As far as I know,” Tackling said, “I’ll just bring some cleats and play my best.”