Do you want to know how I grew up from a small town in Iowa to the best football player and coach? When I was about 8 I started playing football. I was the best linebacker in high school and college football. I was the 1st, 1st round pick in the NFL draft. Retired and became the best football coach in history.…
On January 21, 1961, President-elect John F. Kennedy delivered his now famous inaugural address to millions of anxious Americans as they patiently waited for a glimpse into the vision that Kennedy held for the United States. In a dramatic attempt to galvanize the nation and usher in a new era, Kennedy boldly proclaimed " And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you¬¬¬¬- ask what you can do for your country". Without question, there are hundreds of compelling reasons for anybody to want to attend an institution with the amazing pedigree of the Coast Guard Academy. But for me personally, whenever I think about the real reason why I desire to attend the Academy, my thoughts always come back to the basis of Kennedy's quote.…
When I was young I wasn’t good at anything, but soccer changed that forever. At the age of three my Dad my dad brought me to a D.C United game (a team in the MLS),and quickly I grew an interest in the sport. Ever since then i’ve one 2 MVP awards ,3 league titles ,and 5 team player awards in six years.…
Being let go can be many things, it can be cut from a team, laid off, or rejected. For me, being cut was a shock and a huge disappointment. I tried out for the Bridgewater State University men’s soccer team and was dismissed in the second round of cuts. Soccer is not just a game for me, it is a significant part of my life. I have played year round for the past fourteen years both indoors and outdoors.…
Soccer is a tough sport with many challenges such as losing a game, being benched, missing a goal that cost the team the game, and playing ninety minutes without any breaks. These challenges can destroy your confidence and make you want to quit. But by not quitting you learn to cope with the challenges, allowing you to persevere through a game or season. Besides perseverance, soccer teaches teamwork. Each player has a role to play so trusting my teammates to do their jobs is crucial.…
From the time I was six years old, soccer consumed my life. I started at a recreational level, advanced to a competitive division, and eventually on to high school. I’ve put countless hours into learning the game. I never thought my soccer career would include coaching until one summer when two friends and I signed up to coach a recreational soccer team of nine year-old girls. Initially, I thought it would be a cakewalk, my previous coaches managed my teammates and I with ease.…
“Hi Malcolm, I’m Coach Spear, and I’d like you to consider playing soccer at Davidson.” I had played the “beautiful” game of soccer for as long as I could remember, starting in an organized league at the age of three to be exact. An invitation to play as a team member in a highly regarded college soccer program was the culmination of hundreds of league games, dozens of travel tournaments, and too many practices to count. The idea of attending such a prestigious college and having the opportunity to continue to play soccer is a personal accomplishment was very exciting to me. Soccer may have opened a door, but I believe that several interests in addition to soccer, combined with the educational opportunities that Davidson has to offer, will help me open many doors throughout life, shaping a personal identity that will be unique among many.…
Without soccer, I would not know how to tell my story. I didn't have much free time for soccer teams when I was young because I had to take care of my 5 younger brothers when my mom wasnt home. But in sixth grade our neighborhood was full of Latinos that loved soccer, so that is how I started to become more passionate about it. Our neighborhood did not have a nice field. It didn't have goals or markings, it was pretty much dirt and grass.…
These skills contributed to my literacy in the sport of soccer. While I was growing up, playing soccer helped me obtain literacy in the area of hard work. Long practices, never ending film sessions and hard fitness workouts contributed to my core understanding of what hard work actually was. In addition, day in and day out, my soccer coaches would preach that greatness comes from the grit of…
When I got to High School, rival coaches were surprised how well I performed against senior players. Having an ex-professional player as your coach is a great advantage, he would tell me that I was destined for great things, how in college athletes are treated better, in his mind I was a division one prospect and he would do everything in his power to make that dream happen. Then again, life happens and during the summer prior to my junior year, I tore suffered a horrific knee injury which kept me out for twelve months. I made my return during my senior year, however I was not the same mentally and was totally out of shape. My life went on, needless to say without soccer I had no future.…
When I was little people always told me that nothing comes for free, and at the time, I really didn’t give it much thought. Now that I’m older I know that nothing comes easy and if you really want to accomplish something and be good at it, you must work. In 2012 when I was about ten years old, I remember going to my cousin Jacob’s football game. He played here at Cesar Chavez, he was number 36 and played fullback and linebacker.…
What once was a mere burning match, weak and fragile, has grown into a magnificent wildfire, capable of engulfing the entire planet itself in its flames. Passion. For anything imaginable, those with it can shine far brighter than any other. I’ve always envied those with something they could cling to and call their passion, never having it myself. After years of searching, it appeared.…
Soccer has always been my love, my passion, and my outlet. If I have a rough day, all I have to do is lace up my cleats and step onto the field and just like that, all my worries drift away. I would always play for myself and no one else, it was my game and I thought that no one could take that away from me. Every time I played soccer I felt free, until the day that everything changed.…
Soccer became my life. Soccer made me who I am today because if you don’t respect your teammates, your coach, and all the rules, you cannot…
When George was in third grade, he had a teacher, Ms. Johnson who inspired him. She told him that he could go to college and be successful, as long as he stayed off the streets and out of trouble. She took her students to plays and required them to dress nicely. She was probably George’s most influential and inspiring teacher throughout his early years. Like George, I had a role model in my soccer career that believed in me also.…