Personal Narrative: How Soccer Changed My Life
People ask me why I care so much. They tell me it’s just a game, get over it. But soccer has never been just a game to me. Soccer has been consuming my time, thoughts, and body since my parents signed me up for small-time recreational soccer twelve years ago that developed into extremely competitive travel soccer. They, perhaps unknowingly, threw me headlong into a life of traveling countless miles, long nights of practice, and an unforgettable amount of tears, sweat, and bloodshed. All which persisted over the course of my extensive soccer career. Before you judge my parents for their oppressiveness, hear me out. They merely introduced me to the game. I developed and cultivated a passion for it that will never leave me; a passion that has withstood innumerable trials. From legs cluttered with scars and bruises, to a heart broken
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time and time again from seemingly unbearable losses, and healed with the thrill of a win, soccer has left its mark on me. This impingement on my physical and emotional being has steeled me for the better.
Of course, there were tribulations and rough patches.
I had to deal with disappointment from teammates, coaches, parents, and, above all, myself. On the first day of tryouts my freshman year of highschool, I was kindly hypothesized to possess “potential”. I was horrified. Potential was the label given to those who stood on the brink of mediocrity; those who walked the terribly broad line of “nothing special.” I was painfully average. After being praised for my talents throughout the course of my entire soccer career, you can imagine my surprise and disappointment upon hearing the mortifying pronouncement of my amateurity. I didn’t know it at the time, but my coach did me a huge favor with his frankness. I realized that not everything in life would be handed to me on a silver platter. In fact, most of it would not. I had to prove myself worthy, not only to my coach, but to myself as well. Through my extra workout and practice sessions, I developed determination and a tireless work ethic that I apply to every facet of my life. I’ve learned how to take criticism and losses and transfigure them into improvements and
wins.
Soccer has instilled a confidence in me that every individual needs to be successful. I started out just like anyone else undertaking a new endeavor. I was confused and inexperienced, tossed blindly into a world in which I knew nothing. However, with practice I grew, not only as a player, but moreover, as a person. I inexorably assert that if I work hard enough at something, I can be successful at it. Whatever path I may choose to follow, I can always think back to the beginning. I was just a child with a ball in front of her and a weary expression on her face. I discovered something that I enjoyed and that inspired me, and I used it to guide myself to new heights.
Even though my time as a soccer player may be coming to an end, the lessons it has granted me will last a lifetime. It’s consumed a major part of my life, molding me into the determined, hardworking, and confident young lady that I am today. I possess awards and medals to show for my commitment and success in the sport. However, those secular prizes are no comparison to the true gains I’ve received from soccer. I will never forget the players and coaches who have touched my heart and filled my life with a purpose that drove me to the success I have encountered on and off the field.
time and time again from seemingly unbearable losses, and healed with the thrill of a win, soccer has left its mark on me. This impingement on my physical and emotional being has steeled me for the better.
Of course, there were tribulations and rough patches.
I had to deal with disappointment from teammates, coaches, parents, and, above all, myself. On the first day of tryouts my freshman year of highschool, I was kindly hypothesized to possess “potential”. I was horrified. Potential was the label given to those who stood on the brink of mediocrity; those who walked the terribly broad line of “nothing special.” I was painfully average. After being praised for my talents throughout the course of my entire soccer career, you can imagine my surprise and disappointment upon hearing the mortifying pronouncement of my amateurity. I didn’t know it at the time, but my coach did me a huge favor with his frankness. I realized that not everything in life would be handed to me on a silver platter. In fact, most of it would not. I had to prove myself worthy, not only to my coach, but to myself as well. Through my extra workout and practice sessions, I developed determination and a tireless work ethic that I apply to every facet of my life. I’ve learned how to take criticism and losses and transfigure them into improvements and
wins.
Soccer has instilled a confidence in me that every individual needs to be successful. I started out just like anyone else undertaking a new endeavor. I was confused and inexperienced, tossed blindly into a world in which I knew nothing. However, with practice I grew, not only as a player, but moreover, as a person. I inexorably assert that if I work hard enough at something, I can be successful at it. Whatever path I may choose to follow, I can always think back to the beginning. I was just a child with a ball in front of her and a weary expression on her face. I discovered something that I enjoyed and that inspired me, and I used it to guide myself to new heights.
Even though my time as a soccer player may be coming to an end, the lessons it has granted me will last a lifetime. It’s consumed a major part of my life, molding me into the determined, hardworking, and confident young lady that I am today. I possess awards and medals to show for my commitment and success in the sport. However, those secular prizes are no comparison to the true gains I’ve received from soccer. I will never forget the players and coaches who have touched my heart and filled my life with a purpose that drove me to the success I have encountered on and off the field.