Soccer is a beautiful sport. It is the world’s sport. It requires the stamina of a runner, the strength of a football player, and the mindset of a wrestler to successfully achieve being a soccer player.
A soccer team is a chain. If one link breaks, it no longer works. If one person stops running, the other team catches up. High school soccer is a different story. To create this beautiful chain, you have to give up.
That’s right, I said give up.
Stop trying to make the “dream team.” Stop clinging to the “best” players and forgetting about the rest.
These players take more away from the game besides how to score a goal. They will learn discipline. They will learn how to cooperate with others and how to communicate. Running for 90 minutes takes mental strength. No one is going to force you to run or shoot or score. That is your job.
Giving 100 percent effort even when you are losing 6–0 takes determination. It takes a true athlete—a true teammate—to not give up on their team during the toughest of times. When a coach takes the focus off of winning and puts the focus on the well-being of the team, a dream team is born.
The greatest teams must go through hell to learn balance. They must suffer seasons of loss, shuffle through coaches, and run seemingly endless sprints until one day it clicks. The only way to succeed is to play as a team.
The soccer team I played on my senior year of high school was a once in a lifetime team. The connection was so strong that it was unquestionable. Even in the toughest of times, no one gave less than their best.
I want to recreate that. I want to teach strong work ethic and determination. I want people to see the beauty of soccer and the beauty of being on a team.
I want to teach young teenagers the difference between a leader and a boss. A boss dictates, while a leader is on the line right next to them ready to do push ups, ready to show them why all the training matters.
I hope to teach others how to love the game like I did and still do. I love the game of soccer because I love my team. Although I graduated and no longer play with them, I still consider them my team.
When I was a freshman, I had a senior take me under her wing. This is probably one of the best things an upperclassmen can do for a newbie. This is how team chemistry begins, from the top down.
Being captain is more than just wearing an armband. You have to keep your cool even if there is someone ripping at your jersey. You have to hold back when the ref makes a bad call. You have to set the pace and be an example for your players.
After being a captain for almost three years, I realized I didn’t want it to end there. I liked bringing people under my wing and helping them through tough times whether it be soccer, school, or life. I wanted to always lead by example. Overall I wanted to leave the impression that even after I graduated, I would still be there for my team.
A year later, I am now helping out with my team. I refer to them as "my team" because they were and are my favorite team.
Coaching just once a week made me realize how beautiful it is when you coach someone and you can see the understanding in their face as they realize how to run the drill or how to run the play, when you see that you made a difference.
I want to be a high school soccer coach because I want to bring everyone under my giant wing and teach them to love the game of soccer.
