As Charles suggests, you can try to do both when possible. A couple years ago, we had a rare good snowfall here, and it promised to make one of the only truly good mountains out here into an adventure. I had been waiting years for something like this, but it coincided with my daughter's birthday. So I went out late the night before, slept in the car, got a really early start, and returned home by early afternoon.
You have to make your own judgments, of course. I would say that since soccer games and tournaments are frequent, it's okay to miss some as long as it doesn't become a habit. But you have to decide what the right balance is. My kids aren't quite old enough yet for me to be in your position, but my day will come.