Yes, I Still Play Soccer

I wanted to reintroduce a passion of mine to my new readers and followers who don't really know my past. I grew up playing soccer and proudly standing at 4'11 I played keeper. Okay, pick your mouth up off the floor, I was pretty scrappy. When I wasn't in the goal, I played offensively in midfield or up top (as needed, I was never one who wanted to score, but when I did it was a great feeling).

my best friend Cristian and I, 2011 (photo on top) 2020 (photo on bottom)

My senior year my coach put my on defense which I thought was insane. It was the only position I had never played–nor did I have a desire to play it–but I did as I was told. Turns out, I loved defense! I also found out that I love to slide tackle and (maybe because of my height) I was really good at it. I even broke a girl's shin one time in high school on a slide tackle, but didn't even get a yellow card. She wasn't wearing appropriate shinguards so that's on her 🤷🏼‍♀️.  My coach took me to win 2nd team all-state on defense. It was a love that I've always kept close to my heart.

As for my travel team, those girls were my second family. To this day when I look back to my team that I literally grew up with I can't help but to smile. Not only because I have such fond memories of them, but we kicked ass! I don't know when it started, but we were undefeated so many seasons that my coach had to put us up an age bracket to compete. When we dominated that bracket, we kept getting moved up until there were no more teams to play with! We were unstoppable and I miss those girls everyday (even though I see Rachel at work, hey girl!).

I never planned on playing in college or professional by any means. I knew what I wanted to do with my life and though I will always love soccer, it wasn't in the stars for me and that's okay. I played co-ed intermission at college and then whenever I was at home I played indoor with my friends (boys + girls). I've always dated soccer players, so even when not playing competitively I was surrounded by it all the time. Now my boyfriend is a soccer coach so I really can't escape it, even if I wanted to.

A while back ago my friends decided to start an adult league team. I couldn't help but to let out a judgmental laugh. I never thought I would be that person playing an adult league. I gave a smug look and shook my head no. I loved playing pick up with my friends and it's a great form of exercise, but I didn't want to be that adult that I would judge as a teenager. Yeah, I was being judgmental, petty and kind of bi*chy about it, okay. I admit that. I am also admitting I was so wrong (I never admit when I'm wrong, so this is big for me 😂).

There is nothing wrong with still loving a sport that helped you become the person you are today. Yeah, nothing about my career involves soccer, but being on a team and learning discipline can shape you into a real adult one day. After playing pickup one day I asked my friends if they still needed a player and decided to just go with it. I love playing with my friends so why not do this competitively? Our first season we made it all the way to the finals because we had such great chemistry and everyone loved playing again (it had been a few years for some of us). It's just something that came natural and our love was shown on and off the field.

I was back to doing something I love with people I love. What is better than that? Two years later, we're still playing in an adult league and of course I want to win one season, but even when we lose I walk off that field feeling great. It's a great form of exercise and for someone who doesn't love to workout, soccer gives me that exercise that I don't get at the gym. My adrenaline is always pumping, I'm doing something that comes naturally to me and even if I'm not as good as I was when I was 18 (man I miss being 18 sometimes) I still give it everything I got because who doesn't want to get better and better.

So, yes. Here I am almost a decade after high school still playing the sport that I loved as a child. I don't regret joining my friends and being a part of something that honestly made most of us friends in the first place (yeah, I'm looking at you Danya ⚽️)! It's not only a way to catch up with my friends 1-2 times a week, but it's a great form of exercise and it's a great hobby that pulls me away from the computer screen. If you can dig back into your roots and fall back in love with an old-time hobby.

Shout out to my Kickin' Chickens 🐓 for helping me rediscover my passion and love for the sport and I plan on being there when we win this freakin' adult league.

xoxo, Michele

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