Pros And Cons Of Being A Soccer Captain

One of the biggest accomplishments that I feel I have achieved is being a captain for my soccer team when I was in grade 9 (overseas). Back when I was in Ethiopia, soccer was one of the biggest things we loved growing up. Soccer was the only thing available as a sport in our school, so being a captain of a team was kind of a big deal. My time as a captain taught me a lot of things about what being in a position of power means.
To begin with I didn’t start out as a captain; I was just a member of the team. I loved soccer growing up, and I used to play it almost every day. For most people soccer wasn’t just a sport; it was a way to escape problems and truly feel happy even though the reality was far from it. In any case I was the most involved in my team, showing

up to every practice and training whenever I could. The old captain of our team was my best friend.

We did a lot of stuff together; we were practically brothers. But one time during our championship game against our rival school, our captain got into an accident and was unable to continue the game. I remember that game like it was just yesterday, when my friends and I played the most memorable game ever. The game started out with our team losing; our opponents were tough; they had strong defense and sharp offence. But that didn’t break our fighting spirit. Our captain told us to keep calm and not give up, no matter what. As the momentum of the game shifted to a tie, our captain was badly injured in an accident just before it was called half time. In the team dug out, our captain told me that it was up to me to lead the team to victory. I was scared bearing that kind of burden, but our captain reassured me that it would be okay and that he believed in me. And so I went and tried my best, but reality was much different than my expectations. Our opponent’s defense was impenetrable; we tried and tried, but it seemed futile. But I didn’t give up; our captain believed in me, he put the burden of winning the game on my shoulders after all. And then it happened; one of my teammates, Robel, had the

ball and was dribbling down as quickly as he could. There were only about 49 seconds left and it was tied 2-2. Robel passed the ball to Daniel who was in the corner. My heart was pounding in my chest as I ran to the penalty spot. From past experiences I knew that he was going to kick it there; it was where all his crosses went. Daniel kicked a perfect ball to where I was running to. I wasted no time when I decided to head the ball. I jumped as high as I could and hit the soccer ball straight on. When I landed I saw the ball speeding past their goalie and into the net. I screamed in joy as the referee blew the whistle indicating the end of the game. I took off my jersey and waved it around with excitement. My team crowded me in a huge group hug, leading to us all falling on the ground. Me underneath, about 20 sweating boys. Might I say it was absolutely disgusting, but it was the smell of success nonetheless. At that time our captain and everyone relied on me to lead them to victory. But I was shocked to find when the rest of the team including our captain who was injured, insisted on me being their next captain, it was certainly challenging, but I took it upon myself to lead my teammates.
I had no idea how to be a captain. Certainly the position came as a challenge for me, so I consulted my best friend who was also our old captain on how he managed to lead our team for so long before he retired from the position. He told me that it would take courage to actually do it and that once I was in position I should not think about failure at all. The only thing I could do was push myself and my team to the best of my abilities. The words he said to me inspired me to help me and my team achieve countless victories against our opponents. It was not easy, but it was fulfilling.
I learned valuable lessons from my time being a captain. I learned about the importance of working together, before I had always been doing things alone. But being in a position made me realize that I must push beyond myself, beyond my boundaries if I was ever to truly know my teammates; because it is at the edges, in the frontiers between us, where ideas are exchanged and knowledge is gained. But there was more to it. I learned that our lives were not only our own, as we are not only us. We are part of what surrounds us. They were a part of the team, as much as I was. When we collided, they were no longer the same; and as such, I am no longer the same. We shifted just like the wind. And I do ponder at times, how much my friends changed me, and how much I changed my friends. I don’t know what the future will hold, but because of this, I’m willing to learn and do everything I can to make sure I’m ready.