Oh, soccer. The sport that doesn't get nearly the amount of respect it deserves, and the one we will love forever. No matter how many times you asked yourself why you didn't play a sport that didn't make putting on skinny jeans an absolute nightmare, or looked at your teammates on the field and asked "What would happen if we just left?" the sport will always have a special place in your heart. No one else would ever understand the struggles you went through, unless they went through them with you. Here are a few things that I know all of us soccer girls can relate to.
1. "I Can't, I Have Soccer" became part of your vocabulary.
It's Friday night, let's go to the movies! Nope, I have practice. What about Saturday or Sunday? Nope, I have a tournament. Do you ever not have soccer? Ha, that's a funny one.
2. No matter what you do, your thighs, feet and shins will never tan the same way again.
Blame all those Memorial Day Weekend tournaments of being in the sun for hours a day stuck in your cleats and shin guards. We all know soccer tans were the absolute worst and our shins and feet will never tan the same again.
3. "Get on the line" or "Bring sneakers to practice" made you wanna die inside.
Conditioning is the devil. Enough said. And no matter how many times you thought "what is he really gonna do if we just don't run?" you sprinted like you were being chased by an ax murderer every time.
4. You could eat for a family of 4.
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"I'll run it off later". The greatest excuse in the book
5. Your love hate relationships with all white uniforms.
They look so neat and put together, but let's be real, wearing those gave you a bit of anxiety every once in a while if you know what I mean..
6. You can't wear a cute dress or skirt with heels without your calves looking like those of a UFC fighter.
Doesn't matter what you do, you can't get away from the fact that you have man calves and thighs as hard as rocks. Show them off, girl. Be proud!
7. Away tournaments were the greatest things in the world, and felt like a messed up family vacation.
Columbus Day Weekend, Memorial Day Weekend, basically all weekends other people simply know as "three day weekends" are known to soccer players as "tourny weekends". There is nothing better than spending three days with your entire team causing havoc and kicking ass on the field.
8.You never actually used pre-wrap for its intended use.
Did anyone know that pre-wrap is actually for injuries and not for temporary headbands during games? Because I sure didn't.
9. Turf burns are the worst and you wouldn't wish them upon your worst enemy.
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Ever get a rug burn? Multiply that by 100 and that's a turf burn. It's even better when the little turf pieces get stuck to the burn, too.
10. Putting on skinny jeans is always a bad choice and will most likely result in tears and sweatpants.
Muscular legs and skinny jeans just don't mix well together, so you should never mix the two. Ever.
11. "I washed the pinnies last night" was the biggest lie your coach ever told.
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Those things always smelt like your coach decided to take all of your cleats and shin guards, throw them in the bag with the pinnies and just let it sit there for a year. If you ever had to be the team that wore them, you hated life.
12. Looking so forward to the game against the team with that nasty girl who elbowed you in the face last time so you can get your revenge.
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Rivalries are the best, and make playing the sport that much better. It's always a little sweet when that nasty center forward got the red card she had coming way earlier in the first half.
13. Your number is your identity.
You get a little annoyed whenever you see a girl on the opposing team with your number, but at the same time it's kinda like "hey, i guess great minds think alike."
14. You spent more time with your team than any other of your friends.
With practice 3 days a week, games on the weekends, and pasta parties, your team was your second family and you found yourself hanging out with your team a lot more than your other friends, not as a chore, but because you wanted to. These girls understood your struggles and went through them with you. You have a bond like no other.
15. Defending the USWNT has become a part of your everyday life.
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For some reason, it doesn't matter how many World Cups or gold metals these bad bitches win, you will always get those naysayers trying to tell you that men are still better than women in every sport, including soccer. But you know that they're just jealous and all hail Carly Lloyd and her half line goal.
16. Mia Hamm was probably your favorite player growing up.
Who doesn't love Mia? She's the Derek Jeter of women's soccer. You never met someone who didn't love her.
17. No matter how many times you wanted to quit, or said you hated the sport, the memories you made playing will stay with you forever.
via">http://giphy.com/gifs/soccer-GETuYRhIpWJ9u">via GIPHY
The bruises, broken bones, torn muscles, and soccer ball prints on your legs will become funny stories to tell when you get older (even though they were anything but funny when they happened). You'll miss tournaments with your team, and even though you guys will keep in touch it'll never be exactly the same. Be proud of your thunder thighs and never forget your soccer days.
