How Soccer Changed My Life

For the past five years I have dedicated my life to soccer, and school, of course. This time of my life has consisted of driving an hour and forty-five minutes to and from Virginia Beach, Virginia, as well as getting the least amount of sleep anyone could think of. Since I was a little girl I have always had a dream to play soccer in college and proudly represent my school. Well, that dream is finally becoming a reality, but so is becoming an adult. Every year I always asked myself “Why do I keep doing this?” but I am quick to reminds me that I have a dream to fulfill and that's what keeps me going, and to make myself and my mom proud. My mother is a single mom with two jobs, she has managed to push me in every way possible when it comes to

She showed me the beautiful sport of soccer when I was six years old and I've loved it ever since. Over the years it has become harder and more stressful, but I have learned to make sacrifices in life. I have missed out on some of the most exciting experiences in high school from homecoming, to state championship games, but these were sacrifices I had to make to better myself and my game. The biggest challenge I face is losing friendships. It is difficult to maintain friendships due to being gone for four out of the seven days a week. Many people don't think that driving almost everyday to play a sport is ideal, but I have developed some of the greatest friendships through playing soccer. My teammates, teammates friends, coaches, parents, and people who want nothing else but to see me strive and have helped me grow into the athlete I am today. With being a high level athlete comes the risk of getting injured. Over the years I have had many injuries, some more sever than others; but almost all have required physical therapy. For some people, this rehabilitation is not easy to stick to and requires lots of mental and physical motivation. My physical therapist has given me lots of uplifting energy to get my