You were the last thing I ever wanted to lose. You helped me though so many hard times. Whenever I felt mad, upset, or just lonely you were always there. Something to do, something to practice, something to perfect, never a dull moment with you around. I remember starting to play at such a young age, loving every second of it. From that day forward I played almost every day of my life, even if it was only for a few minutes. I wanted nothing more than to be the best. Obviously that can't always be done but my parents told me otherwise.

I miss you. I miss kicking the ball around. I miss wearing my hometown uniform, I miss the satisfaction, but most of all I miss the friendship with the group of people that came with it. You brought me so many good times, laughs, and memories with those people. Who knew all it took was a sport to create an inseparable bond between a large group of people? Once we all stepped foot onto that field all of the high school drama and the cliques disappeared. We were all here for the same reason, to play the sport we loved. We didn't care about anything else. Yes winning was fun, but we all knew that it wasn't everything. Sometimes just doing what you love with the people you love is enough.

I knew the day would come when I would have to leave you behind. One last time I would have to kick the ball, sweat my heart out on that field, and have the time of my life doing something that was simply just for my joy rather than to please others. The day my cleats made it to the back of my closet next to the hideous boots that I've never worn was the worst day of my life. I knew it was over. For a while I thought that everything I had been working so hard at for the last 13 years of my life was for nothing. Looking back at it now, there was no way it was for nothing. This sport has taught me so many life lessons that will carry on with me for the rest of my life. Most importantly I learned how to deal with failure, work hard, work with others, and make sacrifices. It taught me discipline. All of these things will help me succeed in any direction I go in life.

I'm not going to lie. I still enjoy playing the game, and I still do sometimes. I'll play it by myself in my free time, but mostly enjoy it with friends. We all still enjoy it. I didn't want to stop playing, but I had to. We all did. We all had to stop for different reasons. Maybe one day I'll get to lace up those cleats one more time, and play like I used to. I hope so, more than anything. If I could go back and play in one more high school game I would in a heart beat. No matter how many times I complained about practicing, I never meant it. I would take that all back right now if I could because I never thought I would have to miss the game as much as I do. Time goes by so quickly, so don't take anything for granted. And remember, always play your heart out because one day you won't be able to anymore.