Personal Narrative: A Women's Soccer Team

I pulled my red socks up over my right shin guard, then my left. I slipped on my shoes, making sure they were knotted extra tight so they would not come undone. After I brushed my hair back into a ponytail and fixed my headband, I was ready. On the bus, everyone chattered about the upcoming game, music blaring, loud with excitement. The game featured my soccer team, Oak Hills, and one of our rivals, Ursula. Ursula, known for their great passing and winning record, was very well going to be one of the hardest teams we had to play. But, we were prepared and nothing could stop us.

Our team captains passed the ball off, and just like that the cheering began. Although it was only the CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) Youth Soccer Final, the turnout for the crowd was enormous. Everyone from our parents, relatives who lived nearby, teachers from our school, to random spectators looking for entertainment were watching the game. Fortunately for us, we were

As the hot sun beat down on all of our determined faces, we ran onto the heat-absorbing turf. Sweat was dripping down our entire bodies, and nerves sank into our bodies just to reside there for the whole day.

Ever since I was able to walk I have participated in sports from cheerleading, soccer, track, and etc. I remember after cheerleading practice, my friend and I would join the boys in a game of football. We were decent in football, but I felt we would have been better if we were part of the team. We wanted to drop cheerleading and join the football team, but there would be controversy within the community. Growing up I always wondered why there was a men’s football team, but never a women’s football team. There are usually a men and women’s team in every sport, except football. Therefor it is only right for women to have their own football team.

Hey Nathan, its Lauren Whitaker and I have some exciting news.” This is exactly how I began my conversation with him. “What’s up Lolo? It’s great to hear from you!” He replied. “I’m great, but I have found the college that I would love to go to and wanted to run it by you.” I was nervous to tell him this because he always told me that I needed to make sure the college was perfect for me. “That’s great news Lo, which one is it?” He exclaimed. At this moment I was so scared to tell him which school I went to in fear that he would not like it. This compares to the anxiety felt when fathers do not approve of their daughters’ dresses. “Florida International University, it is in Miami.” I said hesitantly. “That is great news, Lauren! That is such

First and foremost, soccer is a team sport. Teams and communities require a group of people to work together while also contributing individually. Personally, I contribute to the Varsity Girls Soccer Team by working to be in the best shape I can be in, both physically and mentally. I spend a lot of time, both during the high school and club seasons, developing my technical and tactical abilities. Additionally, as the sweeper, I must direct the defense to make sure we are organized. When an individual is better, it makes the team better. Everyone on the team, starters and substitutes alike, has a role to fulfill in order to make the team as good as it can possibly be.

Throughout my high school career, I have been blessed with the students and teachers that have surrounded me. Thankfully I have never engaged in heated discussions with others in order to defend my beliefs. On the soccer field, I can say the same, however, I did speak up on matters that caught my attention regarding team efforts and the chemistry among my teammates.

I used to believe that soccer was, well, just soccer. I'd play for my rec team, in which would consist of one practice and one game a week. Nothing special, and not too stressful. After I got tired of rec soccer, I joined a travel team. To be specific it was the Mahwah Raiders. It was a step up from rec, I now had two practices and one game a week. This wasn't too crazy for me- I was fine with the timing and schedule of everything.

Nothing brings a team closer than working together towards a goal. I discovered this especially during the final game of my soccer league tournament last spring. My team, the Saints, had just finished a bittersweet season. After losing our leading scorers the year before, we had defied the odds and made it to the third place game in our tournament. The team we faced were our longtime rivals, the Lions. We were not about to let any opportunity to beat them pass us by. Our offense was ready to score, and our defense was prepared for anything. From the starting kickoff to the final whistle, my team and I played our hardest, and taught me what unity actually meant.

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.

Christian like's to play soccer but he isn't that good . He want's to make to the soccer team, but the soccer coach doesn't think that he is good enough to make it, The other soccer players and his parents don't believe in him either.

Growing up I had focused on competitive soccer. Soccer challenged me both physically and mentally and I learned to love these demands on the field. These challenges helped me foster a self-confidence in myself when it came to athletics. When I fractured my tibia playing against my rival high school, sending my knee cap into my thigh, I was faced with a new test. The sport that I loved was taken away from me for an extended period of time and it took away part of my identity. Who was I without soccer?

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

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.

I have always loved soccer, ever since I was small and had just started it, along with kindergarten. Now I was venturing into a new level of soccer: elementary school soccer. For the past year, I had been watching professional soccer, making sure to learn from every important detail that had made those larger than life players so extraordinary, so talented, and so perfect. I wrote down facts, statistics, and formations that seemed to bring them success. I practiced soccer often. For a while, I would practice for an hour or more at home after school, and when it got too cold to go outside, I would go in my garage to juggle and shoot the ball, then up to two hours at a time. I was so excited for the elementary school soccer program and I thought