Personal Narrative: My Experience With Soccer

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.

Soccer is a game where nothing is predictable. Soccer is a game that’s been around since the eighteenth century and has a different effect on many athletes’ lives, including mine. My sophomore year of high school is over and I was finally over with a long season of high school soccer. Returning to my team of five years I was excited to go back and am comfortable with. Right as I approached my team I saw an unfamiliar face and instantly got intimidated. Trying my hardest to avoid him it seemed as if every time I looked over he was examining my every move. Of course that day of practice was a series of conditioning test to see if we were really doing our fitness assignments over the break. The drills consisted of a pattern of sprint got dragged out all along to eighty yard

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?

As the bells rang out Edgar gleefully said , “ Hurry up James we need to get there in time to be picked, or else we’re gonna be stuck with the nerds out in the field watching!”, as he ran out to the field toward the road where we would be playing tackle football.

I was told that on the day of my birth, the operating room was overcrowded with medical staff, bright

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

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.

I have known it for fifteen years. For fifteen years I have lived, breathed, and marveled at it. I am only eighteen years old meaning it has taken up almost all of my life. I know nothing else but this, and it is soccer. Soccer has been my lifestyle ever since I was able to walk and it has been what keeps me going and keeps me motivated in life. Soccer has made me who I am today and has taught me almost everything I have ever needed to know.

People in this world, have a heart that makes them fall in love. I'm not talking about, love with another person, but instead with an activity, a hobby or a job. As for me, my heart pulled me towards soccer. I was born in Mexico City, and us Mexicans are huge soccer fans. I was raised in a soccer family and ever since, a ball has followed me around my whole life.

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.

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.

The most recent challenge that I had to face actually happened last week. Me and a few Standout club members were arriving to football practice a little bit late on Tuesday. When we made it to the practice field our head called a team huddle. All the players gathered around, took a knee, and focused their attention to coach. Coach looks around and says “For all you guys going to Bible study is gonna have to make a choice”. Hold on, let’s stop right there, I am going to give some history on how this tension built up. Two years ago, my friend Matt started at bible study group called stand out. Every Tuesday Matt would have a bible study starting right after school at 3:15. Every Tuesday me and a couple of football players would go. The only

Helmets pounding, pads flopping. Football is one of the greatest sports to be invented. This is personally my favorite sport. 2013, i was playing little league baseball 3A and the season just ended, we lost our game to an outstanding opponent. After the game, our team got together, and ended the day at a mexican restaurant. Then when we got done and everyone started to leave, I headed to the parking lot to load my equipment in the car. I still had on my blue cap, bright blue shirt and my white pants covered in dirt. As i started my parent's car, a man dressed in athletic clothing came up to me. He shook my hand, all i could see looking straight was his shirt that was black and has red words on it. The words spelled out Prosper Pirates. He