Royals 10

The beginning of my high school career was nothing as I had imagined. It was very different from what I was used to, and it took me some time to get adjusted. Growing up, I never had a lot of confidence in myself, so it was difficult to find a place at school where I fit in. It seemed like it was going to be a long four years if things stayed like this. Thankfully, there was one thing that many people had in common, and that was their love for sports. For me specifically, that sport was soccer. I had always been a big fan of it. This was my chance to finally be competitive, be part of an actual team, and meet people with similar interests. The first few practices went nothing as I expected. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was severely out of shape. Not only that, the upperclassmen were a lot better than me. I was disappointed in myself, but I thought I was just nervous because it was my first few practices. By the time the games came around, I thought I would be prepared. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Everyone was so much bigger and taller that it felt like I didn’t make an impact on the game. Any time I did end up getting the ball, I would become indecisive. Everyone would ask for the ball, and I would doubt myself and lose it most of the time. I could see the frustration on my teammates’ faces. Then somehow the season started to get worse. Somehow I managed to injure myself and miss most of the season. The last few games I did come back to play, we would get blown out by the other team. It was a horrible season, to say the least. My confidence was at an all-time low, and it made me depressed just thinking about it. I knew I had to work harder to be able to have my teammates trust me. Not only that, but I need to become more comfortable on the ball. I worked hard to improve overall so I could become someone who could be relied on. My senior year went a little better. I had improved physically and improved my decision-making skills. The only thing I still struggled with was the communication part of the game. On the field, I was silent. I was able to get closer to my teammates but still felt as if they silently judged me whenever I made a mistake. Regardless of all this, I still enjoyed the year a lot more than my freshman year, and I think I played a lot better. The season was full of emotions as some of the friends I had made were graduating, so it was the last time I would play with them. They gave me the motivation I needed to improve and helped me out. I looked up to every single one of them, and they showed me the right path. My final two years were by far the best. Junior year, I gained confidence in myself and my abilities. I had trained hard during the summer and felt as if I was one of the best players on the team. Playing confidently throughout the entire season, I was able to get the first goal of my varsity soccer career. I was getting along well and working well with my new teammates. We may not have won very much, but the season was still enjoyable regardless. My fourth and final year was the most influential for me personally. I had been through a lot over the past three years and even thought about quitting at one point. But all my hard work had finally gotten through, not only to my teammates but also to my coaches. At the beginning of the season, I was voted captain of the varsity soccer team. I was ecstatic. Never did I think at the beginning of high school that I would end up getting as far as I did. I understood the game and tactics more and was able to give advice to my teammates and lead the team. It felt good to have people rely on me, as it was something I had never experienced before. I played great, and we ended the season decently. I was able to see how the people before me had felt about all that responsibility. It helped me realize that I enjoyed that feeling and didn’t want it to end. Furthering my education after high school had always been the plan. But now I am even more committed to it. I plan on playing soccer in college as well as studying to be a physical therapist. Having had multiple injuries I understand how it feels and want to help other people get back to their very best.