For those of you who don't know me, I am first labeled as athletic. For those of you who are trying to get any clue from my blog that might leak any information about me and aren't getting why the posts in my blog have close to nothing to do with the sporty and witty name I have given my blog; and are having a hard time trying to "figure me out," well, to you I say, good luck and keep reading.
Read this post if you must.
I keep saying "for those of you who don't know me" when I only have one follower on my blog and she has known me best for the past couple years. I guess I keep writing the phrase above in hopes that even if you don't follow my blog on a consistant or recorded bases, you at least know of me. Everyone wants to be remembered; whether it's positive or not. Your opinion of me does not truely effect me because you don't care about me in the first place; not really.
I have played soccer since I was in second or third grade. I started out on a purple team called the "Purple People Eaters." How original yet fierce enough without cursing. I played goal keeper on this team.
Then I moved up in the world and found my soccer mate, Miriam. She too was a goal keeper and we played on the same team called "The Barbie Dolls." Not the proudest team name I have belonged to, however it had a nice sting when the defeated team announced they had just been beaten by The Barbie Dolls.
Then in middle school they separated the girls from the boys. Besides the societal insecurity of sexual maturity among hormone raging teenagers, which I feel is responsible for any or all sexual irresponsibility in teens, myself and a select few females became excluded from the cliches of girly-girls because of the athletic ability and competativeness that was soley reinforced in the males. Here is where I moved out from the goal and onto the field as a midfielder because I could run a lot, for a long time, and had no problem "tackling" people.
In high school the greatest thing my coach/math teacher had ever told me was play lik a senior. As a freshwoman, I admit that I looked up to the seniors. As a midfielder I learned all aspects of being in the middle. I played outside wing and got good at serving long crosses and corner kicks.
As a next step up I went to play soccer in college. Though Miriam and I had not gone to college together and we didn't play together I wore her number on my back for every game in hopes she'd be with me. Here, college, I learned "my place" and the title of "seniors" that I had hoped to look up to and hopefully play like, I wanted no part of it or them. I wanted to play like Me. I had to and have found out what playing like Me means.
Words like "leader," "champions," "star," "courageous" they all flew by like street lights seen through the windshield of a speeding car. Though they still held value and made me shiver when talking about them, I still felt like a puppet on a string. School pride, team pride, play for family... I have played for these groups, wanting to make them proud in every practice and every game. I owe a lot to these groups and thank them for all that I am.
BUT...
In the most civil way I can say, THIS SEASON IS FOR ME, BITCHES.
I am not wanting spotlight, fame, recognition. I have never wanted but appreciate it. This is my last season playing soccer. This is it for me. The team, coach's lectures, games, injuries (though they're most definitely worth it), blood/sweat/tears... all of it, gone after this year.
So, opponents, teammates, fans I say this to you; I plan on giving it my all and leaving my all out there. Game on.
