This I believe

 I believe everything I have learned in life I have learned from soccer. Being on five different teams has made me learn so much about teamwork and how you can become an important part of a family. Winning and losing games with my teams has taught me that you do not need to win everything and that you should focus on what you can control. I have also learned that if you work hard you can achieve anything, but also if you make a mistake you have to let it go, or else it will get in your head and mess you up more. Soccer is more than just a sport, it is something you learn from.

Teamwork is a very important aspect of my life. On the field, you want to work 100% for your team. If you work anything less than 100%, then you are letting your teammates down. Everyone on your team wants the same thing, to win. You work hard for each other, not for yourself . Being on a team is more than just playing on the field. A team is a family. I see my team almost every day for practice, games, and tournaments. This year we made it to the States Group semifinals. Losing in overtime was hard on all of us. We were sad because we lost but we were mostly sad that was the last time we would be playing with our seniors. Everyone thought the bus ride home was going to be in complete silence. But one of our captains, stood up and said, “I am not sitting here in silence for an hour. We had an amazing season and everyone should be proud of it.” From this experience, I learned that you must play every game like it’s your last. It was clear how much we all cared about each other. A team creates special bonds that cannot be broken because everyone trusts their teammates would do anything for them. Between early morning preseason practices and fighting for important titles, we went through it all together. All of my teams have shown me that if we all get along and want to win for each other we will play well.

Many people think that winning is everything. Winning is a big part of soccer, but so is losing. Last year my team entered the regional tournament undefeated. We had to play four games throughout the week and we won the first two games by more than 5 goals. We were all confident but tired and sore going into the next game. Unfortunately, we didn’t come out and play as well as we were hoping and we lost. It was our first loss, in a game that we needed to win to go to the national tournament. We all went to our rooms sad as can be and later on my coaches noticed we were all still very sad. They then told us all that it’s over and done, it happened and there’s nothing we can do about it now. Now we have to forget about it and come out tomorrow even stronger. We all knew they were right and we had to get over it. That night the whole team got together in my room and we bonded and had fun even though we just lost. This showed me that winning wasn't everything, it was how we responded to this loss. We came out the next day strong and beat that next team by 6 goals. Everyone knew we couldn’t control the past, all we could do was move forward and focus on what was next. This relates to life on an everyday basis. Learning from mistakes and moving forward is something that contributes to my everyday life. I learned that you don't need to be perfect and win everything. If something bad happens, then you have the opportunity to learn from it. Winning is fun but losing helps you improve.  The past is in the past you just need to focus on what you can control.

Working hard and being resilient is everything you need to achieve in life. Soccer has taught me this is so many ways. I never would have thought I would be where I am today 5 years ago. 5 years ago I was on a really good team and didn't get that much playing time. This made me lose some confidence, and it got in my head. Every time I got in the game I was nervous. If I messed up I would keep thinking about it. I then decided to switch teams. The team I went to was not as good as my last team, but it ended up being a great thing for me. My coaches raised my confidence greatly and made me want to work hard. I would train twice a day and when I got home, I would go outside and practice more. At every practice, I would work so hard and I became the captain and one of the key players on my team. Because of all of this hard work I made varsity soccer as a freshman, something I used to dream about since I was a little kid and my sister made the varsity team. All the work I put in paid off. Working hard is something anyone can do. There's no excuse for not working hard. Whatever you want to achieve in life work hard and you can get it.

Many people think soccer is just people kicking the ball and running up the field. To me, soccer is something I can play to get away from everything. Soccer is something that has taught me that being on a team is more than just playing on a field with some girls. It’s that we all have the same love for and want to win for each other. Also, winning isn't everything and you can't worry about the past. Lastly, soccer taught me how to work hard at everything I do to achieve what I want. I feel as if soccer has taught me a lot of skills that contribute to my academics and also my relationships with others. This is why I believe everything I have learned in life I have learned from soccer.