Personal Narrative: Soccer Has Been A Part Of My Life

The famous Scottish soccer player Bill Shankly once said, "Soccer is a matter of life and death, except more important."

There are more than 7 billion people on planet earth, which mean there’s a lot of growing up. Growing can be full of harsh experiences that could change a person. Everyday we go through situations that could change lives dramatically or it’s not important. It doesn't matter age or race we all go through impacting life experiences. Here are some of my own life experiences that made my opinion something that shouldn't be believed.

I have always loved sports, but in September 2015 a certain sport changed my life. At the start of grade eight I joined the Airdrie Aces Athletic Club. I am now a better person because of this change that I made in my life. Before I started running track, I played soccer. While playing soccer I did not realize all the opportunities available to me through sports.

Soccer is my passion because it has given me so many opportunities in life and I have most of my best memories from playing soccer. Ever since I was young years old soccer has been my number one sport, I have played other sports like basketball, softball, volleyball and tennis but soccer has been the main one that has stuck with me. Soccer has benefited my life in so many ways it has helped me stay in shape, meet new people, go to places I have never been before, taught me how to be a great leader, improved my reaction skills and fastened my decision making skills in tough situations. This sport has relieved my stress lowered my anxiety levels and overall has made me a happier person. Soccer has helped me so much with my anxiety and I am thankful

Sometimes people do not believe they can improve. Eventually, they give up and do not feel like trying anymore. I took a long adventure which changed my point of view in life and taught me the best life lesson anyone could ever give. I always hated soccer because I did not have the physical abilities. I tried my best to stay out of soccer until one day when my parents signed me up for a team without informing.

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

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?

“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.

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

When I was three years old, I began playing a sport that would change my life forever. Throughout my life I have tried just about every sport available to me. The one that stuck with me and that I continued to play every year was soccer. It was the love of my life. I loved everything about it from the sweet smell of the fresh cut grass to the most exhilarating feeling of scoring a goal.

Soccer is a team sport. This may seem redundant or obvious, but I find it is often forgotten. A team is more than just the group you play some sport together. A team is your support system for life. They help you through your troubles and cheer you on when you need the motivation. Without my team, I would not have come as far as I have. I’ve learned that no matter who you are or where you are in life, you always need a team, just not the usual sense of a team. I struggled my first semester of college, both on the field and in the classroom. Looking back, I realize why – I had no one on my team, my life team. I was trying to do everything myself and failing miserably. By the second semester I swallowed any self perpetuated pride and

In the summer before my senior year, I tore my ACL while playing a small soccer scrimmage. The doctor explained my injury as very common in female soccer. But the heartbreaking reality made me feel much more than the statistic on the dry erase board that Dr. Mayer held. I loved waking up, going to school, and finishing the day with some type of sports practice! After the incident happened, I cried and whimpered for hours as my leg swelled to the size of a balloon. But the pain was much more than skin and muscle deep. With a post-surgery recovery time of nine months, I realized my high school athletic career had come to an abrupt and expeditious end. I had also ran out of college credits at my small school in the same year. Because of this,

When I was fourteen years old I had a national soccer tournament in Sanford, Florida. My club team was faced against the number one team in the nation, the Michigan Hawks. The Hawks had multiple national team players and multiple girls that were already committed to large Division I colleges before their freshmen year of high school. This alone scared the life right out of my entire team, but we came together and knew that we could preserver and get through it.

Hey Mohawks! This past Thursday was senior night for soccer. I would of never imagined it coming so fast, it seems like the season started last week. Words cannot describe how sad I am that I only have a few more games left. As we closed out our season Tuesday we are looking forward to the post season. We are hoping to upset Valley View next Monday. We faced them earlier in the season and the results were not what we wanted. I am confident that we can come out this time ready for what they are going to throw at us. I hope everyone has a good weekend and thanks for

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.