I wish I could include a picture of me playing soccer with this essay because that was all I did from age five to fifteen. Soccer was life for ten years so most people are surprised to hear that the fall of my senior year in high school I will Captain of my high school Cross Country team. How I became Captain of a running sport is an accomplishment I never saw coming. If you had asked me in elementary school, middle school, or even my first two years of high school if I would do anything but play soccer I would have said never. I am the youngest of three boys.
When I first thought about how soccer impacted my life, nothing really came to mind. I was that kid who mostly looked forward to the end of the game snacks and bringing around the goal jar. But when I actually began thinking about more about playing soccer I realized that soccer was the first place where I was fully submerged into something completely new. I learned how to make friends, how be a leader, and how to have good sportsmanship. These are all things that have made me into the person I am today and it all began on the soccer field.
Participating in high school soccer has taught me many life lessons, of which “determination” was the most important. At Fleetwood High School, soccer is a highly respected sport. As a freshman, I competed against many talented upper classmen for a spot on the team. Being one of the youngest players trying out was intimidating, but it forced me to establish a goal for myself. I was determined to, not only make the team, but to make the varsity team.
My eighth-grade year, I tried out for the school’s co-ed soccer team and was confident that I would make the team. During the three hard days of try-outs, I pushed myself to improve each day and received several compliments from the coaches. On the last day, the head coach pulled me aside to tell me
The best leader I’ve worked with was my Junior High Football coach. My coach used the Path-Goal Theory. I hated football and saw no future for me in that sport. I was teased and literally quit the year before at a different school. I heard about try outs at another school and decided to go.
At Carmel High school, Chandler Grey was the guy with it all, he was the star striker for the soccer team, he was dating the captain of the cheerleading squad, all the guys wanted to be just like him, but, he was flunking, If his grades stooped any lower he would be benched on the championship game, and no one would want that. Ryan had a big Algebra final coming up and if he didn’t pass he wouldn’t be able to play in the big championship game. Ryan had been studying every moment of everyday, yet he still wasn’t confident he would pass. He knew the formulas and he knew the expressions, but something in the back of his head was screaming at him to study more. He felt as though the weight of the soccer teams future was on his shoulders.
I never thought that a trip to a soccer game could change my life drastically. Everything can change from one moment to the other and no individual sees it coming. My family’s plan was to go to our hometown’s championship soccer game. Needless to say we never made it there.
“Congratulations, this is the 2013-2014 Mission Vista Men’s Varsity Soccer team.” I still remember the words coming out of my high school coach’s mouth as he spoke to the new varsity team after tryouts. I was the shortest and one of the youngest players on the team, but my passion for the game was not any less than anyone on the team. I was one of the only three sophomores on the team with a team dominated by juniors and seniors.
While soccer is singled out as one of my very strong passions, I find myself playing harder and smarter during school soccer. With the help of Craig Rocastle, former professional soccer player and the current coach of Seaman High School, we are undergoing one of the best seasons Seaman High has ever had. Presently after seven games we have yet to face defeat; furthermore, Rocastle pushes our team to the limits and states, “We will fly, I am proud of our season so far but there is still another level in us.” As our team enter each game with new mentalities and expectations we are; in fact, becoming a better team while also handling the task at hand and winning the game.
This has given me the opportunity to share my love of the sport that I have been playing my entire life. On the field, I am able to lead by example by always working hard, playing fair and encouraging my teammates. My leadership position allowed me to teach my teammates what I know about soccer, inspire them to work hard to reach their goals, and help create a more positive soccer community. As a captain, I have set an effective role model for my team and other female athletes at our school. Due to my leadership in school and on the field, I earned the Union League of Philadelphia/Eastern Pennsylvania Youth Soccer Association Good Citizen Award.
The day my brother introduced me to soccer I had a feeling that it was the sport that I would play. Since that day I started to look at videos about soccer and what the rules were that needed to be followed in the game. I asked my dad to buy me a soccer ball so I could practice playing and how to do plays. When my brother got home he started playing with me and showing me the way to keep control of the ball. I found it difficult in learning the sport, but my brother always told me not to give up on something you love.
When I was younger, my father gave me a lecture on having a desire. He told me that to be successful, you must have the desire to work for whatever you seek. Now that I am old enough and have been through some trials and tribulations to understand the concept of his philosophy, I believe in having a desire and having the will to work. When I was in the seventh grade, I felt as if I was a car with a dead engine on a highway during a winter storm. Even though I was a straight A student I had no desire to work, especially with the troubles I had at school and at home.
In today's hyper-analytical and judgemental culture, everyone has at least one person in their life that hates them. The nemesis can be anyone, a peer, relative, or even a teacher. Whoever they are, it is impossible not to feel like they are always on you and will try do anything to get at you. When thinking about these characteristics, I have come to the conclusion that my despiser happens to be my old soccer coach Brad. I have played soccer for a substantial amount of time, and over the years I've had a variety of coaches, but out of all them
One of my best days was when my soccer team won the championship. I won several other championships ,but with other teams. This was my first season playing with this team. The major characters in this event were me, my teammates, my coaches and the parents. This event took place in a park at sanger during the summer.
Not Your Average Team Captain One moment. One single moment is all it took to change my perspective on who I am. I’m an extremely shy person and I always have been. It’s not something I’m proud of and it’s definitely not something I want to continue to be in my future.
