COEUR d'ALENE - The Bene family left Hungary seeking a better life.

They found it in North Idaho. And they found the Coeur d'Alene Sting Soccer Club while on a stroll.

Tibor Bene noticed soccer practice at Skyway Elementary on a cold February day so he inquired in hopes of finding out a contact to land his 10-year-old son, Marton, on a team.

As luck would have it, Tibor stumbled upon the right man. Mike Thompson, Sting director, was running the practice.

"I said, 'Sir, you look like you know about football,'" said Tibor, referring to what soccer is called in other countries.

Tibor didn't want Thompson to take his word on Marton's skills and work ethic, so he brought a trophy Marton had earned on his Hungarian club team and a recommendation from his son's former coach.

The rest is history.

Marton is a goalkeeper and defender on Everett Murphree's U-10 Sting team - among a record 207 teams competing in this weekend's 22nd Bill Eisenwinter Hot Shot Tournament hosted by the Sting club.

Marton said he's grateful to be accepted by his team and the staff and students at Atlas Elementary.

"The Sting is like a big family," he said.

Marton said he has noticed differences in soccer in Europe, where the sport has dominated for decades, and the United States, where it has come on in more recent years.

"Practices are harder over there, but there's more competition here," he said.

Marton said he enjoys traveling with the Sting as travel for soccer was limited in Hungary.

He also likes having plentiful parks in neighborhoods on which to run around and play soccer.

Murphree said Marton only knew about five words of English after he arrived, but is amazed how fast Marton's vocabulary has expanded in three months. With language barriers being broken, Marton appears more comfortable on and off the field, Murphree said.

"Every practice he walks straight up to me, shakes my hand and says, 'Hi, coach,'" Murphree said. "That's how their culture is. His mannerisms have rubbed off onto everybody else."

Murphree described Marton has having an "infectious" smile and a "thunderous" left foot.

"He's very smart and nifty with his feet for his size," Murphree said.

Murphree was in need of a goalkeeper earlier this year - the position Marton played in Hungary - but Marton kindly passed up on the coach's offer at the start.

"Two weeks ago, he came to me with a smile and asked if he could play goalkeeper," Murphree said. "He's played that for half of the game ever since."

At Atlas, staff and students realized or were reminded how soccer skills can also come in handy for footing a football as Marton impressed those on hand during a contest.

Tibor believes the transition here has been a healthy one for both Marton and the family.

"You can still be a kid on the field here," Tibor said. "Soccer isn't as rigid."

Tibor said his work at U.S. embassies in Hungary and Germany prevented him from seeing some games and being at family activities, so the move has improved family time. The family has acquaintances in the area and fell in love with it during a visit two years ago.

Tibor has settled into a sales job at Knudtsen Chevrolet in Post Falls and his wife, Eva, for a dog grooming firm.

"We're very excited to be here," he said. "When we became involved with soccer, it was like we had 100 friends instantly."