By Stefan D.

 

Having played soccer since I was three or four and studying the game for almost as long, I have gained an insight which has made soccer more than just a game. Its an inseparable part of my life. Everything about me feels right when I’m in pursuit of the goal, awaiting that moment when the defender attacks and I feed the ball to my teammate to score a goal undefended.

My dream is to play professional soccer in Europe. My current goal is to get on a college soccer team or a professional youth academy team. In my heart I know I could achieve my dream. But in order to do it I have to revamp my way of living. I have to create a structured environment with sets of smaller goals that promote the most production from me.

By getting high grades I can get into a college where I can then focus on a business major that would teach me the skills to run a soccer related business. I need to make a daily exercise plan and stick to is so that I can be ready for that tryout date. And on top of all of that I have to manage my time in a way that allows me to have a job that provides funds for transportation and gear.

Clearly, maintaining that type of work ethic will take its toll and there will most likely be times when I may want to give up. What I’m about to say can be applied to anyone seeking physically, mentally, and emotionally rewarding success. If you follow your heart and use your mind to organize a relentless work structure, you will get the most out of your purpose in life.

A coach of mine once said, “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” So I asked him, “What if you’re talented and you work hard?” He said, “You’ll be unstoppable and the opportunities will be endless.”