I miss the sport I played years ago for so many reasons. Soccer was and still is something that I love and have a deep passion for. You don’t realize it at the time, but the memories you make on and off the field are the experiences you’ll miss years down the road. It’s been nearly three years and I still miss the glory days of wearing #4 and taking the field with 10 of my closest friends.

Teammates → Family

I miss my teammates that turned into family. Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and months turned into years of playing side by side. Becoming close with your teammates was inevitable and I miss having eighteen close friends no matter what. No matter if you lived in different towns or attended different schools, you always had an unbreakable bond. To all of my former teammates --Even if we no longer keep in touch, I hope all is well and I will never forget the memories we made along the way!

Staying in shape

I miss staying in shape without even realizing that I was working out. Of course, every soccer player dreads hearing, “Get on the line,” but most of the time we were having so much fun that we didn’t realize how much exercise we were actually getting. Practice, team runs, scrimmages, and games were just part of it, but thankfully it kept us in the best shape of our lives without even realizing it.

Coaches

I miss my coaches who made me the person that I am today. Over the years, I had a handful of coaches and all of them influenced me in a different way. They encouraged our team when we lost and celebrated with us when we won. They pushed us to go out of our comfort zone on the field and it always seemed to pay off. If you’re reading this and you’ve coached me over the years, thank you, thank you, thank you! I am so grateful for all of the time and effort that you put into our team.

Pride

I miss playing for the select clubs and schools that gave me so much pride. There’s an old saying about playing for the name on the front of the jersey rather than the last name on the back. I couldn’t agree more, but I miss the pride I had for my number. As soccer players, from the time you’re little, your number is yours and the thought of losing it is heartbreaking. Having so much love and respect for the organization you were playing for made winning that much more meaningful.

Battle scars

I miss having battle scars from intense practices and games. Getting cleated or having a ball impression on your thigh may have hurt, but we all know we were proud of the scars. The blisters, bruises, and scrapes caused discomfort, but in the end, we knew that they were for a great cause. Unfortunately, injuries were inevitable, but we always wore the small battle scars with pride.

Getting new gear

I miss getting new jerseys, cleats, warm-ups, and pre-wrap in every color. Getting new soccer gear was like Christmas morning. Playing in new jerseys made every player feel on top of the world. I miss the excitement of the boxes being carried out at practice and waiting for your name to be called to get your bag of new things -- then rushing home to try everything on of course!

Team dinners

I miss pasta dinners and ice cream dates with the team. Having multiple servings of spaghetti and numerous breadsticks has never been so fun. Some restaurants may have not been happy with us when we made reservations for forty people (teammates, coaches, and families), but we always had a good time! We also did a great job at raiding the muffins, fruit and cereal at the hotel breakfasts -- sorry to every hotel my team ever stepped foot in!

Bonding on out of town tournaments

I miss bonding with my teammates. Being a part of a team, bonding happens even when you least expect it. However, team bonding was the most fun on out of town tournaments. I feel sorry for other guests staying in the same hotel as my team. A swimming pool equaled a pool party. Multiple, intricate hallways meant an epic game of hide-and-seek. Having rooms on the same floor was the perfect recipe for movies, games and gossip.

Soccer moms and dads

I miss the soccer moms and dads that supported us through every high and low. As youngins, they made tunnels for us to run through and had goodie bags on deck even after losing 5-0. As we grew older, they pushed us to be the best that we could be and made sacrifices to be at every game and drive us to every practice. I miss hearing them cheer us on at the sound of the first whistle and hearing their encouraging words with ten minutes left in the half.

Memories

I miss all of the memories that soccer provided me over the years. Twelve years of my life included soccer and the memories that I made along the way are irreplaceable. From winning championships to hot summer practices and everything in between, I am so thankful for everything that soccer provided me. I miss the friends that became family and the memories that we all made together.

Thank you soccer, for being something so great that it’s hard to say goodbye. As I’ve gotten older, I enjoy passing by soccer fields and seeing young children learning to play -- keep it up kiddos! I would do anything to be able to step out on the field again, but for now, I’ll stick to reminiscing! For those of you still playing the wonderful sport, don’t take it for granted and make as many memories as you can, I promise you won’t regret it!