The first soccer match I can recall watching was on a black, chunky TV screen back in my motherland, Laos. My astonishment was real. I watched in awe as the players dribbled the ball, sprinted through the green field, and nutmegged their opponent to attempt to find the back of the net. I was fascinated by the pace of the game and the excitement from the stadium when a goal was scored. Since then, I would plead with my parent to take me to my cousin’s home in the capital city every Sunday to watch a match. My adoration for the game declined after immigrating to the United States, but I fell in love again during high school. What sprouted my interest in this sport? I have not gotten a clue. It wasn’t like my brother, cousin, or uncle played it. My family had no connection to the sport at all. This memory is particular to an incredibly meaningful event that happened recently in the summer of 2017. I attended an “El Clasico” match between world-renowned Spanish clubs Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. I am a supporter of the most royal soccer club in the world, Real Madrid. You don’t just declare that you are a fan of a team the very next day or because they won a certain match. It takes understanding, time, knowledge, and passion for the game. This feeling is hard to put into words like certain things in life that make you happy, but you don’t know exactly why. It could be that I have grown to cherish this team because they played in the first game I had ever seen. Real Madrid
Well I finally discover the true love and passion I have for soccer two years later when I was 8 years old. My parents finally decided to put me in a team called “Princess” I would go to every practice and always tried to get my parents in the car at time so we would never be late to games. I played defence and scraped my knees sometimes trying to get the ball out of our side. But I never knew what I was actually capable of until my coach had a job and had to leave coaching for a while and one my teammates parent decided to step in. I was so use to playing defence but he wanted to make things different and he believe I would do even better at forward. The next game I played forward score every single goal winning the game I never understood why people seem so happy to score until that day. Seeing the ball slowly roll in the back of the net and every single parents and kids raise from their seats and start clapping nonstop and screaming my name has been the most amazing feeling I have felt in my
Learning how to love soccer isn’t something you can be taught in Brazil, it’s something we were gifted with since birth. This being the case, many children in Brazil dream to become professional soccer players, hoping to one day help their families financially. What motivates them the most to actually make it in the soccer career is the conditions some of them
We are now living in a world where video games have become a major aspect of some people's lives. It has impacted many in a negative way and positive way. Most of these games provide us with a theme or lessons we can take away from playing. I’m not a big gamer, but being a soccer player, I have fallen in love with FIFA. I’ve always finished my homework quickly or decided not to do it at all, so I could play FIFA. I was never able to imagine a video game could have such an impact in my character and life. FIFA has done just that and has overall helped my time-management, as well as my patience.
Everyone has that certain thing that makes them who they are. That certain thing for me is soccer. It’s my hobby, my biggest interest, and my passion. Soccer isn’t just a sport for me, it’s my life. It has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I have played the intriguing game of soccer since I was four years old, and I have loved it ever since.
Everyone has a memory that they will never forget, a memory that is so sentimental that you will cherish it for as long as you can remember. Soccer is a sport where you can meet anyone and everyone when you play with or against them, however you may not notice what is actually happening when you play. I had one of those memories when I was fourteen years old. Everyone can have one of these memories when they play soccer competitively, for fun, or just in their free time. This memory is about when I went to another city to play soccer and when I got there it changed my life as a young adult and effected me in the long run.
Growing up in a Hispanic household my family’s culture has had a significant impact in my life from avoiding a different variety of salsas and thinking twice about my immature decisions. Yet their love for the beautiful game known as Fútbol or soccer has always held on to me and is inspiring how it brings together an entire world or in this case my fanatic family. With soccer in my blood, as many relatives love to think, I’ve grown to love the sport, but my love was limited by restrictions. With an un-financially stable high school placing soccer in the bottom of the list of funds, my love for the game only stretched to amateur pickup games and watching ninety minute games on FOX Deportes. With limitations affecting my passion I began to follow
Everyone has that one special thing. The thing that is comfortable and familiar. The thing that makes every problem, worry, and doubt go away. My thing is soccer. I cannot recall a time in my life where I didn’t have a ball at my feet. Soccer has been a major part of my life ever since I was born. From attending my first soccer game at the young age of one month, playing my first soccer game when I was two years old, and still playing to this day, it is safe to say that soccer has taken over my life.
I fell in love with the competition, the strength, the reliance on others, the character building, the relationships, being humble in victory, and graceful in defeat. Playing a team sport, and being raised in a family that has been all soccer all the time means that one of my main, and favorite, teachers have been the beautiful game. While I knew I had let my whole team down, after the countless losses I had been a part of, I was able to quickly put the defeat aside and remember that winning games never make anyone better. It is the losses and failures that mold me not only into a better athlete but into a better
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
Walking out on the field clothed in full confidence, I have no doubt in my mind that our team will perform to our fullest potential. As a team captain, fear is something that I keep locked away in my mind; however, I still get butterflies before every game. Before each game, I inhale two puffs, stretch every muscle, and sing to myself to remain placid. When praying for strength, courage, and protection, it is like the Holy Ghost enters my players and kindles inside of them. Their focus shifts from what could go wrong to what will go right and what they will do to help the team. When I walk on the field, my heart begins to feel like it is about to beat out of my chest, and I feel like someone is trying to take over my kingdom. On the field I am home, I have purpose, and I have a sense of belonging. While I may feel like I am suffocating, I still continue to pump my
“McClure, you are a waste of oxygen and life”, my verbally abusive coach spit from him flaming mouth one last time as I walked out of his office. I was numb, and in shock, but relaxed, oddly feeling at peace with myself and my decision. Soccer had brought so much confidence, passion, work ethic, and pure joy to my life, it was something so stable and rewarding for 15 years. 15 years of endless passion enwrapped in pain and sweat, accompanied by life lessons I could not have gone on without, yet within 2 years, this wonderful aspect of my existence collapsed.
Growing up in a small town, where there wasn't a whole lot of activities to do, when you did find something to do, you stuck with it. When I was around five years ago, my parents signed me up for soccer. I didn't know anything about soccer, but my dad was the coach and taught me almost everything I know. He coached me until I started playing for the middle school team and had a different coach. I was nervous but dad never missed a game. Another new coach when I went into high school, but still, dad was always there.
FWOOSH! I shot and seemed to be in a matrix or slow-motion trance as I watched the ball swerve in the air and the goalie jump in the air stretching for the ball, then, WHOOSH! Everything was back to normal again and I had just realized I had scored!! I was 11 years old and it was early fall at the annual Danny Cuniff tournament. This is where I learned the valuable lesson that all of your hard work pays off in the end.
Personal Statement As I lined up for another “suicide” sprint, summer sun scorching, muscles taut and ready to fire, I could not help but begin to let my mind wonder if I was cut out for this. Defining moments like this one emphasize my ability to understand the long term orientation needed to complete goals in life. Hard work, on hot summer mornings were easy to come by at the beginning of my division 1 collegiate soccer career. I have always found deep internal gratification in becoming a better soccer player. Whether it was learning one new move, or becoming .1 of a second quicker, my goals and dreams revolved around reaching the highest peak in soccer.
I started playing soccer when I was in first grade, I spent all my time after school playing soccer with my siblings. I played for four different teams, the first team I played for was the East Pennsboro rec team. This team was a really low level team but we still played really well. The second team I played for was called Fusion F.C. which was a pretty bad team because we didn’t communicate while we played on the field. The third team I played for was also a Fusion team but it was a higher level team. The last team I played on before I quit was HMMS. I stopped playing after this team because they were all rude and never communicated with one another. So I stopped playing soccer and decided to try something new.