How Football Changed My Life

Throughout my my life, what I defined as being successful in soccer was the amount of goals I scored and the amount of time I played. I have played soccer since I was five and ever since I started high school my soccer career has been filled with struggles. During my Freshman year of highschool I failed to make the Junior Varsity (JV)team. This was an eyeopener for me because just four months earlier I had been starting on my middle school team. I realized my failure to make the team had been caused by my over confidence which led me to not workout and train over the summer. I became frustrated with myself and committed to never let this happen again. I trained hard over the spring and summer to get into sound physical shape and when it was

time for my sophomore year of tryouts I put my training into good use and made JV.
While I did well for my first year on JV, I had difficulty earning playing time and the trust of my teammates.

They did not count on me to make firm passes or to defend well. As soon as the season ended I set out to improve myself and continued to train and workout. While most kids were inside playing video games or sleeping I was outside in the ninety-five degree sprinting suicides, running ladder drill, swimming, or running laps around my neighborhood. While watching tv I would do situps and crunches. I was so proud of my workouts over the summer that I became confident that I had a legitimate chance at making Varsity. On the first day of my Junior year of tryouts coach talked to all of the Juniors and asked them if they didn't make Varsity would they be okay with playing on JV. While I was okay with playing on JV again, many of the other Juniors were not okay with playing on JV. After a week of tryouts I was called out to go talk to coach and was put on JV. All of the other Juniors who did not make Varsity decline to be on JV. My disappointment of being the only Junior on JV grew when I found out that I would not be starting and would still not get much playing time. Despite a phenomenal year where I was only scored on twice in all eighteen of the games I played in, coach still did not play

me.
So how would I respond after yet another year of discouraging soccer? The only way I knew how; hard work, commitment, and perseverance. I continued my routine of training over the summer with the knowledge that I had to make Varsity or I would be cut. On the first day of tryouts coach told me I was on the line between being cut and making Varsity and that I would have to step it up. So I did by facing off against the elite players on the team that no one else wanted to go against. While many times I failed to beat these players, coach was impressed by my hard work and put me on the team. My excitement was short lived when I was told by coach that I probably wouldn't get any playing time. After years of perseverance the only response I could say to him was that I would earn time. I did this by training diligently in practice and eventually playing hard in games in the few minutes that I got. In my quest to score goals and get playing time I earned something more valuable than all the playing time and goals I would get combined. I earned the respect and trust of my teammates. My teammates would unselfishly try to get me goals and would cheer for me every time I came on and off the field.
The lessons I have learned in soccer have taught me commitment, hard work, perseverance, and the value of respect and trust which I know can help improve any college I go to.