Personal Narrative: How Soccer Changed My Life

Growing up in a house with all boys in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania, I was taught to be tough and injuries were very common but easily shaken off. When it came to sports, I would put all my time and effort into one thing: soccer. Soccer was always a true passion of mine; as a matter of fact, it was more of a lifestyle than just a sport. I would spend weekends traveling around my local area playing the game I loved with people I enjoyed being with. My teammates became like my second family after countless seasons and we did almost everything together off the soccer field. The idea of putting on my jersey and lacing up my cleats was a moment I would not trade for the world and something I would never take for granted.

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.

I have always played sports. Softball, soccer, and swimming before I started kindergarten, later, basketball and volleyball. My passion is and always has been softball. I love competing and being able to make friendships and memories with my teammates that will last a lifetime.

There has been many important events that have occurred since I have been born but there is one in particular that has sparked a light in me that has changed the way i have looked at things. It happened when I was playing with the Sacramento FC and everything was going well until the middle of the season. When we got to the middle of the season things started to look shady. I wasn't getting playing time and that really opened my eyes to reality. Soccer was not the only thing that I needed to do in order to have a good life. I needed to start focusing on my dreams and different routes to success other then just soccer. It really showed what I need to do in order to survive in the real world. If it was not for my family's support through this

My soccer team, The Newcomers eventually won the city championship, and my experience on the team changed my emotions toward soccer. It all started when I was twelve years old, a seventh grader in middle school. I put most of my effort into finding a sport where I could excel. It was difficult because being good at a sport takes plenty of time.

My life revolves around 3 important things that keep me going everyday, family, soccer, and fashion . My family is very important to me because I know that no matter what happens they will always have my back. My family follows loyalty because we feel as if nobody should be left behind. I remember the day I came home to my parents arguing which led to my mother packing all our stuff to get out the house as soon as possible which was all so scary and confusing to me. We then just drove around and parked in front of a church to see how the night would end. As I was growing up, I had to learn to mature quicker not because I wanted to but because I had to. I had to leave me childhood fun to help my mother and siblings find brighter days. The day I remember I had to be the man of the house because someone who had that job before me couldn't handle it. I learned to not rely on everyone all the time because when you need them the most they won't be there. My parents divorced at a young age right before my little sister was born which all happened so quick for me however since that day I will never forget because it changed my life in a blink of an eye. Within time I learned it was for the best and it only made me wiser because I knew the mistakes and I

the team during preseason testing, and by sophomore year I had earned a spot on the varsity squad. That

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

I played soccer for 7 years and I played basketball for 5 years and I played softball for 3. I ended up quitting basketball when I was 6 or 7. I played soccer for another year because my dad said I was committed and I couldn’t quit. It was really hard because my dad is like a really big soccer player he grew up playing soccer and that’s what he wanted me and Cole to do. But his sister danced her whole life so he also grew up in the dance atmosphere. I started dancing at 8 and I was playing soccer at the time so I would go

I went through what no one wants to go through. We moved to the States and left everything we loved behind. I was young and very easily influenced, so America began to change me. All through middle school up to 8th grade I was still deeply in love with soccer. Although other sports like football and basketball came into my life which I enjoyed playing, soccer was still my favorite.

“Football is like life - it requires perseverance, self-denial, hard work, sacrifice, dedication and respect for authority” (vince lombardi) For me football started during the seventh grade, and is with me to this day, it take countless hours and many bruises to have a chance of succeeding on just a single play but what i think you must have in football and in life to succeed at your dream is perseverance.

“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.

At first glance, anybody else may just see a shirt, but to me, it is a representation of who I am. My item is a soccer jersey and is the best portrayal of who I am, because I have played soccer since I was three years old. Between the many coaches I have had, and the large number of friends I have made playing this sport, it has shaped me into the person I am today. By meeting all of these people and playing soccer for as long as I can remember it has molded me into an observant, committed, and dependable person, that my teammates can always rely on at any time. One of the characteristics soccer has taught me is to be observant.

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.

I was 4 years old when I made contact with a soccer ball for the first time in my life, it might seem childish but the experience of playing soccer as a child shaped my life forever. Growing up in the threatening background in Caracas, Venezuela, the only extracurricular activity that kept me out of danger some activities, and helped me escape any bad habits that affected most of my friends at an early age was playing soccer, playing soccer made me realized that achieving my goals was possible, therefore, playing soccer shaped my attitude at a young age. However, everything went south when I was diagnosed with a severe groin trauma on my left leg at the age of 10, which prevented me from reaching my highest potential in soccer due to constant