SOCCER

I never thought I’d see the day when I would be chanting at a soccer game.  Soccer was basically treated as a second class citizen my whole life, taking the backseat to American football and basketball. I never had any friends or family that liked soccer, so I never gave it a chance. Over the years, I started making friends who played the sport, and I started to get somewhat interested in soccer. I would watch them have soccer practice in parks while my mom would drive me to football practice. I considered them "weird" for not playing football like I did, yet envied them in a way...it seemed they were more emotional about their sport.

The more friends I made through elementary school, the more exposed I became to the game of soccer. Time and again I saw myself switching off between playing football at recess and playing soccer. The games always got so intense! There weren't as many exciting break-away plays like there were in football, so to a spectator it may have seemed boring...pass after pass, after pass, with not as much scoring...but in the game, you're yelling, running to get open, trying to decide within seconds who to pass to, all while getting kicked and pushed. Even though I was horrible, it was fun, and I felt like no position was greater than the other in this sport.

In high school, I continued to make friends who just so happened to play soccer. At this time of my life, I was questioning almost everything I did, as well as almost everything everyone else did on a regular basis. I often wanted to be different than everyone else. Included in my questioning were the sports I grew up on. I felt like I needed to take a break from the sports everyone deemed "normal," and start to take a look at more "obscure" ones that hadn't yet been recognized by American society. I would try to watch a game televised on TV every now and then. The more I watched, the more I got excited about the game. Not only did I understand what was going on the field now, but the fans who were at the game were CONSTANTLY yelling, chanting or singing. Those were the most passionate fans I had ever heard or seen! It seemed that the passion and emotion of the soccer players was seen in the fans, and vice versa. I wanted to be a part of that.

 I started to go to my friends' high school soccer games. It turns out that our high school team was actually pretty good! We won the State Championship that year. Now I was hooked. I wore what soccer players and soccer fans were wearing, I watched as much soccer as I could, and I even started playing the sport more frequently. During my last year of high school, I joined a club team with my friend who played on the high school team. The more I touched the ball, the more I fell in love with the sport. I started scoring goals, which only increased my passion about soccer. 

Shortly after high school, I decided to serve a mission, which would require me to move to Chile, where I lived for 2 years. If you didn't know, Chile is located on the western coast of South America, where soccer is HUGE! This only added to my new addiction. Coincidentally, the 2006 World Cup was taking place. This is where soccer teams from all over the world come together in a tournament to play against each other. Streets were EMPTY. (And you think the Super Bowl is huge?) As my eyes began to open to just how big this sport really was, I began to follow it closely, and play it with everyone I could, anywhere I could.

Since I've been home from Chile, I've kept an eye out for soccer pick up games to happen in parks, and when they would happen, I'd be there. I've joined a few club teams since I've been back, and have played on a Division II NCAA team with Metro State in Denver, CO, where I walked-on for a season. I follow the Colorado Rapids professional soccer team religiously, and I try and make it to as many soccer games as I possibly can. I love the MLS, which stands for Major League Soccer,  the only American League soccer division. I love the friends I've made from the sport of soccer, both on and off the field. I love the environment of a soccer game, whether it be professional, or a simple pick up game between friends. I love the way I feel when I finish playing soccer, whether I hurt or not. I love how I can release so much emotion into the game, and feel so much better after. I love how much the rest of the world loves soccer, and I love how big it is getting within the United States.

I also love that you've read all of this

Thank you