My Greatest Memories Of Football

It was my senior year of high school football and all I could do was sit on the bench with an injury. It was so frustrating because all I wanted to do was be on the field playing with my brothers like I have since freshman year. I was just so happy to be on the field on those Friday nights and just get to play the game made me so happy when I first started playing. Until I got a big head and started thinking about myself and what I was going do that game or how many touchdowns I was going to score that game. I stopped thinking about the team because of my success. I think this might be a lesson I needed to learn and if I did not, I would have had a big head my whole senior year and never would have saw the real reasons why I loved playing

Ever since I could remember, soccer had been in my life. If there was a soccer team that needed a coach, my father was always the first to volunteer. There were almost too many strenuous weekends spent hours away from home for soccer tournaments to count. My entire family, consisting of my parents, my siblings, my dog, and myself, packed in a mini-van heading to a city that I had never heard of for soccer games. But when I entered high school, all that would soon go away. I kept playing the same sport that I always had, although now I had to wake up at five in the morning for six hours of high school soccer practice in the smoldering summer heat in order to make the high school team. High School sports were more competitive than anything I had done before. I put in as much effort as I could to make the Varsity High School team, staying out past dinner to practice even longer. I was utterly divulged in soccer and trying to be the best I could be. Soon, I would regret placing a game over spending time with my family.

I had apprehensively tried out for high school soccer, knowing that kids from surrounding towns, who had all played travel on flashy, winning, teams, would be my competition. All I had wanted was to make that freshman team, to be part of a soccer program that in recent years had been a championship winning team. Fortunately my hard work payed off and I made that team. It was during my time in the school soccer program that I had not only grew as a player but met some of the people that I now call my best friends. The team required dedication,

Soccer had taught me many things in life. It showed me the significance of family in all forms, to be responsible and appreciative of my peers and elders. I will never forget that day, no matter how old I am, because I had learned an essential lesson, to never give

Soccer always been a great part of my life. I play it since, I was three years old. My greatest moment was the final game of the district tournament. It was the first time for me and my teammates to make it that far. I had to act like I got it all under control since I was the captain of the team but I was shaking until the game started. The game went by fast, it was the minute 89 and it was a draw one to ne after my friend’s header goal from the corner kick. We had two minutes before we go to extra time and everyone in the field already so exhausted. The other team had the ball, and I was at the center back, I ran and cut the ball from the other team, I began running as fast as I can. I was not sure either to pass it or keep

September 13, 2014, it was my fourth official varsity soccer game as a freshman and I was starting. I was put on outside wing, defending one of the strongest seniors Horseheads High School had and I was nothing but confident and motivated. All of the sudden I hear a few pops and a crack and I was on the ground and was unable to move my right leg. Complete shock filled my body and I did not know how to react; my older sister and my coach flashed in front of my eyes and I could not comprehend what was happening. Later that week I was told I had torn my ACL and I would be out of soccer for approximately six months.

I love the feeling of wind blowing thought my hair, the way my leg feels when I kick the ball, and also how happy I get when I score a goal. I remember playing in a league when I was 6 years old, acknowledging the fact that I in a team with kids that love playing soccer as much as I did. I also remember playing street soccer with my brother and cousins behind my uncle’s restaurant, always having to get the ball from under the cars because I was the smallest one of them all. One time we even played in the now, my family came over for dinner and we didn’t know

On one fall morning, my mom and I arrived at the Hulmeville Soccer Tournament. There were so many teams that had great potential to win. My teammates and I Were excited to play theses teams and push our skills to the limit. Our soccer team won all five games that we played. Therefore we made it to the championship angist Hulmeville, one of the best teams in the tournament. The game started and there were no goals scored. Since it was the finals, we went

At that moment I realized that I had to add something to my game in order to stand out. I soon learned that practice and physicality could only make me better. Freshman year came around and i didn't have a coach that was willing to support me and help me develop into the player i know i am today. Its been a whirlwind of emotions with all the pain and failure I've experienced since my freshman year, when i watched the team go 4-11, To say the least i didn't get a single game but that only taught me to fight harder for what i wanted. Sophomore year came around, and with that a new coaching staff that gave me an opportunity to shine from day one. At the beginning of my sophomore season i thought i wasn't meant to be a goalkeeper, so i switched to attack, after a few games, i didn't like it and my coach could see that i was frustrated not being able to settle in. During a game against Flanagan High School, our goalie let in two goals in a matter of seconds, and our coach

My freshman year I made the Varsity soccer team. Every practice I had to strive and work harder to be able to keep up with the upperclassmen skill level and talent. I was finally getting to where I wanted with consistent practice. I became a starter and the upperclassmen would pass me the ball more and help me on the field when there were opponents on me. It wasn’t until the middle of the season when everything changed. We were playing against a school who was very skilled and talented. It was in the first half of the game when one of the girls on the opposing team had the ball and was dribbling it down the field. It got past our midfield players and two defenders. I was the last one before it reached our goalie. I ran towards her and with everything I had I kicked the ball.

When I was eight years old, I played my first season of soccer. The real reason I played soccer was because my dad forced me to play. I loved to play all kinds of sports such as basketball, baseball and football but I was never interested in soccer. After my first practice I already realized soccer was not for me. I told my dad that I did not want to play anymore but he would not listen and made me keep going to practice. At my 3rd practice, the whole team was running laps and I tripped over a stick and fell down. My ankle was hurting pretty bad but I knew I was going to be fine. While I was lying on the ground, I thought to myself If I tell the coach and my dad that my ankle is hurt really bad than I won’t have to play anymore. I thought it was a genius idea at the time. I told them just that and it worked! I have no idea how my dad knew this but once I got home he knew that I was milking my injury. He told me something that night that I won’t ever forget. He told me “you didn’t just give up on yourself, you gave up on your team”. He called the coach the next day and told him that

In 2015, I played flag football. I had a really good team. We never lost a game. It was a streak of like 20. The people on my team were Ashton, Jackson, Cortland, me, and someone else i can’t remember. On the last play of the last game, I scored. We were at the far back Touchdown. It was a handoff to me. I ran so fast I thought I was a cheetah, when i scored, the crowed cheered. My dad was the loudest one there.

We were all set up on the field ready for the game, I remember closing my eyes forabout a minute before the game started, that minute felt like 10 years, I froze and thought aboutmyself when I was 3 years old and how I first fell in love with the game and how my ultimatedream was to become pro, I remember the hours of pain and suffering I put myself through tobecome the player I was today, I remembered waking up at 4 a.m. on school mornings to go forruns so that I could run longer in games,I remember skipping parties and hanging with friendsso that I could train, I remembered everything, but one thing truly hit me was how much soccerwas there for me growing up my parents argued a lot and when I was feeling sad and lonely Iwould go train at the fields and it would hell my sorrow. Growing up in a household when yourparents are constantly fighting is difficult, but soccer was my out lit it was my therapist. Duringthe time of their divorce I felt like I had no one but soccer so I decided I need to give back to thegame. Soccer did so much for me, so I wanted to prove to it that it wasn't a waste of time andthat I would make something out of the game. I opened my eyes and didn't feel human anymore Ididn't feel in control of my own body the sport had taken over me for the better. I remembermoments when I was running and it didn't even feel like my feet were touching the floor

My first experience with soccer came when I was 10 years old, accompanied by my mom. My heart beating so hard, excited to finally play for a soccer team. Kids all around me all in love with the game, with grass so green and freshly cut, looking too perfect to be real. With a brand new soccer ball, two goals set up on each side, who couldn't resist playing all day. I was speechless. Recalling holding hands with my mom, as we walked towards the field, a memory I would never forget. Throughout the game my mom would cheer me on, she was my biggest supporter.

Dating back to my early childhood; football at the time was my only love. I breathed, slept and ate football. It started off as just a friendly hobby around my neighborhood up until my tenth-birthday when I joined a little league football team. Over the years I continued to play, it got even more exciting for me when my friends from the neighborhood start joining the team as well. Things suddenly changed for me moving forward into my high school career. Although this was once a fun stress reliever it was becoming the only thing that stressed me out.