How Football Changed My Life

I was excited for a new beginning in my career, maybe to prepare me for high school in the upcoming years. The idea of beating boys in soccer got me excited, my blood pumping harder through my veins and put an extra spring in my step. It was the first practice of our middle school season, where my life would be turned upside down. I ran down the field as normal, going for another shot on goal, but out of nowhere one of boys came from behind and completely took out my knee, causing me to collapse in pain. Lying down on the field, my sanctuary, the place I saw as home was probably the most grueling time of my life. Injuries were common in my life, but this injury was unlike any other. I could not get up off the field and felt as if there was nothing left in my knee, and every time I tried to get up, I fell right back down. I never sat out a practice until that night and figured one day would be enough. One night was clearly not enough, I was never able to catch back up to my full speed, or be able to cut around the field, which resulted in moving positions from forward, to defense to cut back on the running. I thought this would a temporary position, but I played every game in

There comes a time when you have to grow up or are forced to. You learn from past experiences and base your recent scenarios from it. Since the age of five, soccer has been part of my life. From having practice twice a week, to having practice every day of the week not including games. I felt like soccer was my pathway to success. I felt like I could do big things from it and I had all the confidence in the world but never would show it when others asked me if I was good. I’m the shy quiet girl that shows you what I’m capable of without saying a single word.

In my first beginning days of highschool, I became interested in playing soccer for my first time ever. I’ve had no prior experience with playing soccer, only that many of my friends and my idealistic brother also played, so this was a major part in my beginning.I began training as rigorously as could have imagined. When the time came when my highschool team announced tryouts for the school I knew I couldn't resist. Many other players that I knew suggested that I didn't tryout for the sake of my dignity, but of course I shrugged them off , excited to prove them wrong.When tryouts came,I pushed the hardest I can. I sprinted the fastest I could,I ran the longest I could, and I put everything I had in me right on the field. I didn't want to leave with any regrets or doubts those few days. It was finally time when the team's roster was announced and possibly the worst day of my life when I saw that I didn't make it on the team. I ran home after school that day,slammed my door shut,and compltely confined myself in my prison, crying in my darkness,alone. I fell into a state of depression and overwhelming of hatred for myself that was impossible for me to escape from. I worked three times harderthan everybody else just so I could get close to the level that they already were. I felt the need to quit and hang up my cleats before my friend came up to me. He said to me that I surprised him how much more I improved and that I should have made the team since I was better than some of the others. He told me not to give up but to continue to strive to improve myself because at this rate I will exceed to impress everyone that doubted me and to show myself that I can accomplish my dream. I was in a really low place for myself that I felt that I thought I should throw away my hard work and accept my failure, although with the help of the single light

I have played soccer since I was four or five years old. It was my life; I quit baseball for it, made my parents spend thousands over the years on camps and different travel teams. I devoted countless hours to the sport, playing on a number of teams from rec, to high school learning so much as I grew as a player but never learned as much as I did the day I got cut from the varsity soccer team. Growing up I was never a star player in competitive leagues. I could hold my own, occasionally get past some players and score, but for the most part I was just average and I was perfectly okay with this.

For most of my life, I was skilled in organized sports, especially soccer, which I had played for many years. After a successful soccer season my freshman year, I thought that I would make the JV team for sure. At tryouts, I went through the motions of each drill. I breezed through the conditioning tests, doing the bare minimum for each test. I didn’t try as hard as others, as I felt that I was more skillful than most of my peers.

The next big milestone in soccer for me was when I was a freshman in high school. I went to Troy High and didn 't think I was good enough to play high school soccer. If it wasn’t for my best friend’s dad, I really wouldn 't have played. He told me that I would regret not playing and that I had a lot of potential. I decided to try out with my three best friends and we all ran and did exhausting fitness exercises for weeks during tryouts. First, we’d have to do five laps around the track. In the beginning of the season, those five laps are a killer. By the end of the second one, I am usually out of breath. After that, we’d get into groups and do stations, like jumping over bars or doing sit-ups and push-ups, basically anything to get us into shape. The third part of practice was sprinting. I like sprints because I am way better at running faster for one-hundred yards, than doing a long distance run. The next part of tryouts were the best, all the girls would get put into two teams and we’d just scrimmage so he could see our real soccer skills. Coach Haviland, who was the varsity coach, decided teams after the tough two weeks. He said I had a little maturing to do on the field and that I will be on varsity in no time. I was shocked! I didn 't even think he was considering me. I had a lot of fun with the Junior Varsity team and made lots of friends. By

“When your legs can’t run anymore, run with your heart.” Spring is the best time of the year, because it is soccer season. Spring of 2016 was a special time to me, because I was a freshman at Wahlert Catholic High School trying out for the women’s soccer team. I went into the first open gym scared, nervous and excited all at the same. The open gyms were for use to get in shape for the actual season and for the coaches to get a better look at our soccer skills. Previously in the year of 2014 I played for a club soccer team called DSC or Dubuque Soccer Club. After that 2014 season was over I decided to quite DSC and try something different. So going into open gyms I knew that I was going to be a just a bit rusty because I haven’t played soccer in a while. As open gyms went on some upperclassman were telling me that the coach was very impressed by the skills I had. Being only a freshman it was very flattering to know that the coach thought that about me. Knowing this it drove me to keep pushing myself hard and hard, because my goal was to make it on varsity.

Joining a new club soccer team coupled with almost daily workouts allowed me to improve my skills in the offseason. The feeling of going into tryouts being so prepared allowed a new level of confidence to emerge in myself. With only two starting spots open, working hard from the very start was necessary in order for me to prove myself to coach. After making the team again, I knew giving my best effort couldn’t end here. I showed up to practices with a positive attitude, always ready to work hard. When the preseason scrimmages, long practices, and exhausting fitness checks were over, the feeling of having earned a starting spot was incredibly satisfying. Now, not only am I working hard to keep up my starting spot, but I am hoping my attitude will rub off on everyone and make the team stronger. Afterall, soccer is a team sport; and the possibility of winning a state title in the near future adds to my ambition to perform well for my teammates every time I step on the field.

The spring of 2016 had held many opportunities for myself. For instance, when I tried out for the boys U15 Montco Alliance team. That spring my resilience was displayed because I had to work extraordinarily hard to achieve my goal of making the team. I put many hours toward my goal and finally received that email whether or not I was going to be a member of the U15 Montco Alliance team. One major setback, was the fact that there were 40 kids trying out for the 16 spots on the team, that greatly lessened my chances of making the team because so many other soccer players trying out for the Montco Alliance team. However, Knowing that, it made me work even harder. I am a young, athletic, intelligent, and a curious

I started playing soccer when I was six years old on the Herndon House Soccer League. This is a recreational league that teaches basic soccer skills and sportsmanship. I've played two years in house league, with my father as my head coach. I was selected as an all star for two seasons. When I turned eight had the opportunity to tryout for a newly formed travel team called the Herndon Hooligans. During my first travel tryout I was very nervous yet excited at the same time. As tryouts started I got better and better as it continued. Then after a couple days I finally heard from the coach and he told us I made the team. Of course I said yes and from that moment on I was determined to grow and work towards my goal of playing on the U.S. women’s

After playing ball freshman and sophomore year, I began to lose motivation and love for the game. I began receiving less and less playing time and my confidence was being torn by the coaches. Throughout this time however, I had grown a love and appreciation for the sport of soccer. I had been playing informal pickup games on the weekends with friends. My parents encouraged me to try out for the team my sophomore

In 8th grade, I was selected to play on the varsity soccer team. We didn’t have the best team, and back then, I thought I was the best player on the team since I have been playing all my life. I tried winning games by myself by not passing the ball very often. Several of the people on the team, have never played soccer before. We only won three games and didn’t make the tournament. I thought the whole entire Summer on how we could win the championship. I wanted to win more than anything because I’ve been playing for 10 years and I’ve never won a championship. The next season came, and I was more ready than ever. I worked so hard and made sure all my teammates got involved because I started to notice that the team as a whole was playing better.

I enjoy playing the game of soccer. This "get away" allows myself to calm down and get caught up in the complex strategy of the simple task. On the pitch, I feel like a leader; as if people listen to me. I believe I can change the morality of my teammates with merely my body language. I enjoy the thrill of problem solving situations as if it is instinct. The freedom I feel playing the game gives me a break from my stressful life. To be able to forget about school and society for a few hours and practice soccer makes me who I am. With the opportunity I was given in this life it only seems just to give back. This game has changed me for the better and I feel it is truly something special to be able to share this game with children in a poor state.

In my life I have always been a procrastinator and never really pushed myself to do the best I can. In school, soccer and my job as a bagger I never really took value in what I did. All I did was get the job done whether that meant i put 100% in it. Throughout my whole life i have played soccer but never put in the effort outside of the league to get better. Once I got to highschool I really started to love the game and began to go home everyday and practice. During my junior year I started to see a big improvement in my touch and shooting. Coming to my senior year all my friends that had played with me my whole life had quit because they didn’t want to play on varsity. I personally was on the edge too and they were trying to talk me out of it. I really wanted to play but at the same time i'm lazy and varsity is a lot more effort and commitment. Not only would it be work on the field but it would take time away from my homework and job.

As long as I could remember, I have hated soccer because I did not have the physical abilities. I tried my best to stay out of soccer until one day my parents signed me up for a team without informing me. Thus, I had no interest in that sport. My soccer team, “The Newcomers” changed my emotions and led our way to the city championship.