A Passion for Soccer

By TB, Age 13

I have been an avid soccer player since I was four years old, so I am now approaching my 10th year as a soccer player. I believe the politics involved in soccer are ridiculous. I play for very highly skilled level team(s) and understanding what it takes to be noticed is unimaginable. You have injured players driving two hours to a practice, just so their parents can, so my dad calls it, 'suck up' to the coaches, to make sure their starting spot remains, when you can save the wasted gas and energy, and explain it all through an email.

I have been judged over and over due to my small stature. My best advice to the 'vertically challenged' is don’t let ANYTHING stand in the way of your dreams, and what you believe in. No one tells you what you can or cannot do. One of my worst experiences was when I tried out for a very high skill level team, and we got callbacks, and my name wasn’t on there. I was obviously extremely upset about this, but also very curious in the extra email received from the coach. This Email stated that I was an amazing, hard working player, but he could not accept me because he was looking for tall, center mid-fielders.

This news was heart breaking for my parents because they believed that my height issue is something of their fault and their concern, but if that coach didn't accept me for who I was, then it wasn’t my time with his team. I have been in news papers, I get daily reports from referees saying they'd enjoyed watching me play, and that I have exceptional talent. It’s not about your physical features, it’s about how hard you work, how long you practice, how dedicated you are, and how much love you have for the game. I will tell you right now, everything listed above, I feel 100%.

One of the most aggravating experiences I receive daily from friends is, "Why don’t you quit soccer, you never have free time!" Honestly, I really do not have free time. But I would love for my friends to just think about what they've said, and think 'wow, she's out doing something she loves, and I should support her.' Personally, I would love to express how soccer changes me as a person, when I'm with friends or family, I feel like one in a bunch, but so loud. When I play soccer, I just have a totally different mindset about everything, and I put every last drop of effort and demand, and power into every game and practice, which makes me feel invincible, and a leader. It’s an experience that could never be replaced.