Why Is Soccer Important To Me

“She shoots, she misses, she scores!” Throughout my childhood, soccer like a rock that kept me stable. At four years old, as I dribbled with a ball at my feet, across the field, I became distracted by the grasshoppers bouncing from blade to blade in the grass. I fell in love with the game as I scurried around aimlessly, hoping to place the ball in the little yellow-rimmed pug net. My love for the game never subsided, but as the years went by, the game became more difficult than scoring in those little pug goals and watching the grasshoppers hop by. In seventh grade everything was new to me: new school, new teachers, new friends, and a new soccer team. I began playing on my first club team. I joined club soccer because I wanted to
This was my mindset going into school soccer tryouts in the fall. I knew these tryouts would be difficult, but not as difficult as the first tryouts. This time, as I jogged around the damp field, watching mud splatter on the back of a girl’s freshly white T-shirt, I asked myself, how can I make myself stand out from the other girls trying out? I knew the coach did not care if I played club or not. He just wanted me to showcase my skills, which is exactly what I did. I did not worry about where my teammates were or what field I was on. I just played the game with my heart and soul and did not look back. I was a runner in the race for a spot on the
Because I was on a club team, I expected the coach to hand me a spot on the team, like she handed me a number on the first day of tryouts. I know now that in life, things will not be just handed to me. I had to work harder at club practice to improve my skills and prepare for the next tryouts. Hard work and determination earned me my spot on the team. These principles do not only apply to sports, but other aspects of my life as well, such as academics and future careers. In high school, teachers do not just hand A’s to any student. An A student must work for it, whether it is through doing homework, studying, or going in for tutoring. Employers do not just hand jobs to anyone that applies. He or she must meet certain requirements and qualifications, usually earned through hard work. This lesson will carry on with me, like a backpack, on my journey through