It is September 18, 2010 and I am about to play my first ever soccer match. Not knowing that this match would change my life forever. My dad wakes me up at 9 in the morning as my game was at 11. I didn’t remember why my dad was changing me into my soccer clothes. I realized I was playing soccer when my mom brought in a box from her closet. My mom said,”Ten mijo abre la caja.” Little did I know my parents had given me my first ever pair of soccer cleats. They were a pair of Nike Mercurial Vapors in a black colorway. In excitement I tell my parents,”Gracias!” and go hug them. It was 9:30 in the morning and we had to go. My mom had her purse and the snack bag, while my dad had the cooler and chairs to put in the trunk of the car. I strapped myself in my seat and was ready to play my first soccer match. I remember my team’s name was the Fighter Jets and our jerseys were red, black shorts, and red shorts. I was wearing my brand new cleats and my mom gave me a spiky hairstyle that day. On the car ride to the game, my dad gave me a whole pep talk on what to do as if I am going to understand anything that he is saying. By the time I get to the field and meet with my teammates and coach it is 10 am. It was a warm, sunny Saturday morning in september. All you hear from various directions is the noise of parents cheering on their kids. Some say,”KICK THE BALL!”, some would yell their kids name in a motivating way to go chase and kick the ball. You can hear the sound of whistles from the referees on the field.
We did our warmups and stretches and it was time for us to get on the field. The whistle blew and there were the Fighter Jets and Hazen Arias taking the field by storm. Since I never played a soccer match, the instruction I was given was to kick the ball into the goal. About 15 minutes went by and I had the ball in our own half. I take one player, then another, and next thing you know it was just me and the keeper. I had one job left and that was to put the ball past the keeper. I kick the ball in the net and hear the roar from the parents on the sideline. I had scored my first ever goal. All I can remember from this moment was the feeling of excitement. As I score, I see all the parents on my team jump up and down in joy. I looked towards my parents and it was the first time I can remember both of my parents having the biggest smiles on their faces. I saw a face of relief from my dad as well, since soccer basically runs in my family’s blood and nothing much. From that moment on I figured out that if I put the ball in the goal it meant I was doing a job and most importantly the team was winning. Since all the players were 5 years old, there were 4 quarters with the length of about 10 minutes each. Halftime came and I had about 2 goals, We were losing 6-2. I was the only one to score for my team. I remember my mom giving me a pep talk. She said,”Dale mijo tu puedes.” This translated to her saying,”Keep going son, you can do it.”
I remember nodding yes and drinking my gatorade that the team mom brought for the team. We get back on the field and are ready to play another 20 mins. Throughout the match I was seen as unstoppable. We ended up winning the game 8 - 6, with me scoring another 6 goals in the second half. At the end of the game, a tiny 5 year old Hazen Arias with black NIke cleats and classic spiky hair look had found his love for this random sport called soccer. I remember running through a tunnel that the parents had made for us at the end of the game. As we run under the arms of the parents they yell out,”WOOO!” in a congratulating way.I had played my first ever game of soccer and I don’t think it could have gone any better. I was given a goodie bag and went straight to my parents where they had open arms for me. Both of my parents gave me tight hugs and congratulated me for what I just did. I was treated like a king after that. My parents got me a Happy Meal and I was the happiest kid in the world with my toy. Never would I have thought I would feel so much emotion from one game. Ever since, I have stuck with soccer and couldn’t be any more grateful for the journey. The meaning that I got from this game was that soccer was destined for me and that I could go far with it. This sport has given me so many moments of joy, moments of disappointment, and so many different experiences. The bonds and friendships I have made over the years are to die. I love this sport with my life and won't ever let anything stop me from playing. It has always been here for me and became my first love. To this day, I play soccer at the club level and play for the Varsity team at the school. Since my freshman year, I have been on Varsity and could never be any more grateful for what the program has done for me. Last year, one of my best friends, Miguel Muñoz and I were given captaincy of the team. This sport has brought me so many memories and experiences that I will never forget. To this day, I am trying to find a college/university to play soccer in, but regardless of anything I love this sport with all my heart.
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