Personal Narrative: How Soccer Changed My Life

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.

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.

I have played soccer continuously from age 3 to 18. Four years ago, I tore my right ACL. I endured surgery and 6 months of physical therapy, then almost 2 years later to the day, I was told the same fate again. I had torn the ACL in my left knee this time. Why did this awful injury have to strike me twice? Once again, I endured the months of rehabilitation and soon returned to the field. Having to go through this twice as a teen taught me that perseverance and determination will help you achieve what you want in life. Even though I spent almost 2 years away from the field, I still made every effort to be there for my teammates. Some days I didn’t want to get out of bed because of the pain, I didn’t want to go to therapy, and I wanted to quit.

I chose to play another year of recreational soccer, making sure to come back the next year to prove a point that I can put in the work and give myself the best opportunity to make the top team. Everyday after school, I would head to the fields and practice every aspect of my game. I would arrive an hour early to every practice, and I would leave an hour after practice. Day in and day out, I worked diligently on my fitness. For a year, I stopped at nothing to give myself the best chance I could to reach my goal. Motivated after that dissapointing tryout, nothing could stop me from doing my best. Standing on a different field, one year later, tryouts began. I was determine to produce my best performance. Two hours later, every player stood single file. Coincidentally, I was the first person called up; the coach informed me that I made the top team. However, this team played for a different club than the one I tried out for last year. This team competed at a much higher level. Not only did I make the team, but I gained the knowledge and appreciation for hard work and dedication. People rarely receive everything they want; however, they can always put in their best effort to provide themselves the best opportunity at obtaining what they

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.

Although I never saw myself being one of those girls that are head over heels for a sport, I fell in love with soccer my sophomore year. Since I started soccer so late into my school career it gave me a reason to try my hardest at practices and during games. I wanted to become as good as the girls that have played their whole life. Soccer soon became a big part of my high school career, and because of this I spent hours after school either out on the field or running the

As a child, I grew up playing softball and that 's it. My mom played softball, my cousins played softball. It’s just all I knew. When I reached the seventh grade at Gardner Dickinson (my elementary and middle school), my friends all played soccer and I reluctantly joined as well. Each year I had my ups and downs with soccer, but it grew to be a part of who I am and has taught me a lot of things. For example, to try new things, to work hard, to never give up, and to step up and be a leader.

Have you ever felt pain so bad, but you push through it and ignore it ? Have ever wanted to help out your team but couldn’t ? Well I have experienced both it’s a terrible feeling and in my eyes it’s considered a failure to let down your team. How, I let down my team and myself is quite simple and here is how I hurt my knee, but first i'm going to tell you a little about soccer, why I played it, and then i'm going to explain how I hurt it and how it’s a failure to me and how did it affect me.

“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.

Post-surgery was the most difficult part of this journey because it put me in a depressed state. The inability of playing sports and watching my teammates play

Every student athlete dreams of playing the sport they love in their future, whether it is in college or even to go play as a professional. I have played other sports in my life, but soccer has always been my favorite sport. I decided to drop every other sport I was in to play soccer. It was a pretty hard decision because I really did like playing other sports, but I really wanted

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?

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.

I have been playing soccer since the age of 3, and I fell in love with the sport as soon as I felt my foot impact the beauty of the ball. All through my childhood, soccer was my life, it was my passion, and I couldn't go a day without playing. From playing at lunch time on the concrete floor with my friends and getting all sweaty in our gray preppy uniforms, to playing on the school

I am a competitor who seeks to learn from past mistakes rather than be overcome by them. I have always been a very competitive person, training to beat my peers in whatever competitive activity I am involved in whether it be traditional sports, eSports, or even Monopoly. I grew up playing soccer since it was my dad's sport of choice. I quickly grew to be one of the most sought-after defensive players in my club for my attitude. I was different in that I wanted defeat almost as much as I wanted victory, due to the learning opportunities that defeat could give us. Alas, I suffered a broken ankle midway through the year which ended my season early and sent me searching for a new past-time that would let my ankle rest easy. Since I couldn’t run