Why Is Soccer Important To Me

Before I started elementary school, my mom would often take me to the Rancho Santa Margarita lake with my brother, Mark. She would save the end pieces of loafs of bread so we could go to the lake and feed the ducks there. My brother and I would attract all the ducks towards us by throwing these pieces of bread into the water. We would also try to feed the humongous koi fishes that used to inhabit the lake. One of my favorite memory from the lake was when my sibling and I threw bits of bread and the birds would catch the piece in mid air. For some reason we were really fascinated and entertained by this. Every time we went, my mom had pre-packed lunches which we ate in the shade. This was when the picture above was taken. I also remember there
I found my passion out very quickly when I was young. I remember the first time I kicked a soccer ball and the next day I asked my mom to sign me up for the sport. Soccer was a huge part of my life and I have learned so many important lessons from it. A lot of my friends when I was younger came through playing soccer which was nice because at school I was very shy. I would always look up new tricks online and practice them outside my backyard. Whenever I wanted to practice in the backyard I had to mow the lawn for my dad. I then proceeded to set up different courses for me to do toe touches around and practice my kicking. I think my dedication and perseverance in soccer translated into my school work. When I started realizing how much I loved soccer in elementary school I started trying harder in school. I thought if I could teach myself a new trick in soccer through hard work and I could do better in school through perseverance also. Around that time I was in classes designated for students who were slower learners, but I was able to translate the determination from soccer into my classes. I eventually was able to move out of those classes. The picture above was from one of my earliest soccer teams. I remember them being very encouraging and sweet. I am really happy that I was able to be in that kind of environment at a young age because I think it contributed to my love for soccer. As I grew older I was placed in very negative environments due to my coaches. But, I was able to keep pursuing soccer and keep motivated because of the good memories I had from the past. I am also really happy I stuck with soccer because it helped me transition into high school better. I met a lot of friends, a lot whom I sit next to in English, who I still keep in touch with today from playing on the high school soccer team. Overall, I never thought a sport could impact me so much. It really helped build my character