I never thought a ball, precisely twenty-two centimeters in diameter, would be so important to who I am as person, and represent how I’ve grown. At the age of three, my parents were already putting me into sports; however, soccer was the one I loved from the start. Most peoples’ first love is the doll they got for Christmas or the blanket they cannot sleep without, but mine was that sixteen-ounce ball. No matter how old I was, or what obstacles I was going through in my life, soccer was and has always been constant.

Every time I step on the field, there is a new obstacle to face. Through that, soccer has taught me that no two situations are the same. Each obstacle thrown my way, has been different, and how I overcome that obstacle is what makes me who I am today. Being on a team, and having others depend on me, has taught me responsibility. If I do not put in the work, my teammates suffer from that just as much as I do. This has taught me to always pull my weight in anything I do. It has also shown me that hard-work and effort can prove to be tremendously valuable.

But soccer has also taught me that failure is acceptable, and what I learn from that failure is what makes me a better human being. Lastly, soccer has taught me the relationships I form with people, and who I surround myself with, greatly affects who I am. As a captain, it is my role to form a unique relationship with each of my teammates. They need to feel comfortable coming to me for advice, but also respect me enough to listen to me out on the field.

Soccer has taught me all these lessons through the fourteen years I’ve been playing the sport and I would not be who I am today without soccer.