Graduation Speech: Achieving My Dreams

Since day one, I envisioned the day I would step out onto the glistening, emerald green grass in my lucky cleats with a ball at my feet. Seeing around 1.5 million fans watching me, I would slowly spin in a circle and try to convince myself that this was not a dream. I saw myself beaming ever so brightly in my red, white, and blue jersey on World Cup day, forever cherishing that once-in-a-lifetime experience that I had achieved. As a child, I had hoped that those dreams and goals I aspired to obtain would someday become reality. With setting, working towards, and achieving goals comes hardships, pain, and doubts, for achieving your dreams is a long and tedious journey that will eventually bring you genuine happiness as it did for me.

A necessary

I trained with James Galanis, my trainer, four or five times a week, 6 hours a day, for 12 years, never losing motivation to train and get better(Lloyd and Coffey 50). After years of training, I was invited to the United States National team coaches (Chris Petrucelli’s) U21 camp in 2002; this was more than just a big deal to me, for all my hard work seemed to have paid off(Lloyd and Coffey 33). When I had completed the camp, I was informed that I was not chosen for the team and I was crushed (Lloyd and Coffey 35). I took this news hard, especially mentally, for I took this as I sign that I was not good enough to play at a high level such as the National team (Lloyd and Coffey 35). I stayed determined and strong, kept training, and later in my career showed him what he missed out on when I attended his camp again in later years(Lloyd and Coffey 36). I kept working and was again invited to Chris Petrulli U21 camp in 2004, and from there was chosen to play on the US women’s national team(Lloyd and Coffey 51). Following the camp the second time around, Chis stated that “It was as if Carli had become a different person” (Lloyd and Coffey 51). He told the press that I was a kid who had the mindset of doing anything it took to be on the U.S. national team, which was exactly what I was willing to do (Lloyd and Coffey 51). The amount of time and work that was put into these past

We attended and won the Olympics twice, in 2008 and 2012(Lloyd and Coffey 154).The US women’s team did end up winning the 2015 World Cup, which I scored 3 goals in (Lloyd and Coffey 212)! One of my goals was from half field, where I blasted the ball right over the Japanese keeper’s head (Lloyd and Coffey 210). Another one of my goals was two minutes in, and I almost broke down in tears in the sense that my dreams had come true (Lloyd and Coffey 209). In the years following our World Cup victory, I was invited to attend the Ballon d’Or, (FIFA’s version of the Oscars) where I was awarded with the FIFA women’s player of the year award (Lloyd and Coffey 220). I continue to play on the US women’s team today, never regretting all the hard work I put into making this team, living my life in satisfaction and pure bliss. One could ever dream about attending the Olympics and the World Cup, and the fact that I was able to achieve these things is truly a blessing that I will forever