When I was about 5 years old, I started playing soccer. Even though at certain times during my soccer career I was afraid of the ball or I had no idea which way to run, over the years I learned how to play the sport and I have learned a lot from it. If you have never played soccer before, you might be able to relate to this if you think about another sport you've played such as softball or hockey.
The first thing I've learned from soccer is practice doesn't make you perfect, but it does make you better. When striving to become better at something, I've learned through soccer that's it's better to try to be the best you can be rather than to become perfect. There's always that one person on your team that seems like they're perfect and that they can do no wrong. Even though that person may be really good at soccer, that doesn't mean they're perfect and in their eyes, they probably can see all of their flaws, or the flaws they think they have. The best thing to do in order to be the best you can be is to just keep practicing.
Focus on what you can control. You can't control what anyone else does except yourself. Being on any team shows that you need to focus on yourself and what you can do to ultimately help your team. Even your team as a whole can't control what the other team does or what the parents shout or what play the coach decides to do. Working together as a team is really the main goal, and focusing on what you can do to help is what really makes a great team.
Let go of mistakes. When trying out something new, you're going to make mistakes. Even if you've been doing that thing for a long time, you still might make mistakes. For example, in soccer, there are corner kicks, and say you're a striker and it's your job to get that ball in the goal. If you miss, you're going to feel like it's all your fault but letting go of that mistake can help you in the long run. Everyone makes mistakes, whether they're big or small, and if you make a mistake your teammates will always be there to lift you up.
Keep learning. We are constantly learning, especially from our mistakes. It's important to learn new moves or new strategies in order to become a better player and a better overall team. If we knew everything about soccer and knew how to do all the moves, there wouldn't be practice. Learning new things no matter what the topic, is very important. It helps us grow as a society and it helps us discover new things.
Be positive. If something goes wrong during a game or practice, or if you're negative about it, the whole team will be and the whole vibe the rest of the time will be completely thrown off. It's just like a car gas tank. When the tank is full of gas, or in this case, positive energy, we can go faster and be better. But when the gas tank is empty, or in this case, filled with negative energy, we go nowhere and end up stuck. Even if the score is 13-0 and your team is losing, be positive about the fact that it was a learning experience and talk with your coach and team on how to be better.
Become a true team player. When on a team, you should give 100 percent but at the same time be cooperative and collaborate with the rest of your team. There's always that one person on the team that takes the ball and runs with it all the way to the goal and doesn't share with anyone. Don't be that person. It's better for you and your team. It's better for you because it teaches you how to work with a team and it allows you to see your teammates strengths as well. It helps out your team because they get more experience and they can learn from it.
Win and lose with dignity. When winning a game, you have a lot of positive energy for you and your team and it can be easy to rub it in the other team's face. Being courteous about the other team losing shows maturity and that you can be a team player. When you lose, though, it's important not to be negative and to think of it as a learning experience. If the other team that won rubs it in your face that you're lost, calmly say "good game" and don't make a big deal out of it. It's important to have dignity while playing.
Those are some things I have learned from soccer and hopefully, you learned these life lessons too. If you're still playing soccer, keep these things in mind and share them with your team members and coach. It's important to have fun with the sport and to do well, but to still be humble at the same time.
