Playing Soccer

Welcome back!

I was just thinking about my pre-college years. Back in the day, I dabbled in various types of sports. The sporting endeavor that stands out to me most, at the moment, is playing soccer. 

Upward Soccer (First Grade) 

 My parents let me play Upward soccer when I was six years old. I did not want to play because I though soccer was an amazing sport (at the time, I’m not sure I knew that “amazing” was a word), and I did not play because I thought it would keep me fit. No, I played because I loved the way the uniforms looked, I wanted the delicious snacks that the parents would bring each week, and I wanted to make friends.

Every Saturday of the season, there were soccer games on the fields at my family’s old church. I would  play two games each Saturday. I was taller than most of the kids on the field, so it wasn’t really a problem to get them out of the way if I wanted the ball. Upward Soccer was fun until I learned that it was against the rules to push someone out of the way.

I loved my uniform

 One thing that was really cool about Upward Soccer was that after my parents signed me up, I was given a drawstring bag with this cool devotion book in it. I loved reading, and I pretty much read the whole thing after a few days(and did all of the cool matching and word games inside it, too). At soccer practice my coaches would go over different parts of the devotion book with the team, and they would tell us about how much God loved us and they told us about Jesus (John 3:16). I enjoyed that, and I believed what the devotional and what my coaches were saying. 

Upward Soccer (Second Grade)

  After my parents signed me up for Upward soccer the second year, I learned quickly that being a second grade soccer player was WAY cooler than being a first grade soccer player. The practices were more of a challenge, and I got to be a goalie in some of the games. I think I was a pretty good goalie (I mean, that experience was over a decade ago, so it’s hard to be sure). I met different girls that soon became my friends. I remember one day, while we were supposed to be practicing we lied down in the grass and stared at the clouds until our coach told us to come back to practice. 

Sadly, my second year of soccer was my last. I used my uniform as a sleeping outfit, and I wore my cool socks regularly.  

Post-Upward Days

 Nine years after I grew out of my Upward soccer uniform, I decided to play a game of soccer with some of my friends in Washington. It was cool summer evening, and I was full of nervous energy. Being a cross country runner, I thought I was fit enough to handle an unofficial game of soccer. Besides, I had played soccer in first AND second grade. That meant I had experience….right?

 I was not ready for the 45 minutes of near-torture that I experience that evening. I started off the game in the center field (or something…we didn’t learn these terms in Upward soccer). I soon found that I was pretty good at guarding players with the ball (I believe that’s called “defense”), and I was pretty quick. I moved up and down the field, trying my best to be a good team player.

I also learned quickly that in a “normal” soccer game, it takes a VERY long time to score a point. We moved up and down the field so many times. I was exhausted 10 minutes into the game. Soon, I was jogging up and down the field. I felt terrible for slacking off, and I thought “is anyone else tired?”

 20 minutes passed, then 30, then 40. It was a close game--the teams were evenly matched. I was in agony.  I was exhausted, and I just wanted some water. Finally, an older guy on my team called “next point wins!” Adrenaline surged through everyone as we attempted to score the final point and prevent the other team from scoring. By this time I was almost dizzy, but I would not let my team down. I hadn’t done anything very noteworthy in the game, and I was sure that I would finish out the game not doing anything worth writing home about. Nevertheless, I would at least stay out of the way of the really good scorers on the team.

 Somehow, I ended up relatively close to the goal. Somehow, the ball ended up rolling to my right foot. Somehow, I kicked the ball hard enough to make it to the goal and past the goalie. 

Side Note: I also kicked the ball hard enough to end up sliding to the ground.

For a few seconds, I could not believe what I had done. I had scored a point—the final point of an intense game! My teammates were cheering for me, and I was ecstatic (and shocked). God had allowed the most uncoordinated person on the field make the last point of a “normal” soccer game.

Reflection

After an amazing conclusion to an exhausting game, I decided that a career in soccer was definitely not for me. I also gained a healthy respect for soccer players. Their stamina is incredible, and I wish I had their strength. Maybe one day I will once again step out on a soccer field and play a game, but for now I will stick to running. 

Thanks for reading my blog! Comment below about a sport you played as a wee child!