Background

My earliest core memories are all related to soccer in some way. From kicking a ball around with my dad in our front yard to spending every weekend at little league games. Surely I wasn't aware but, soccer was shaping my personality in many aspects. Fond memories of passing the ball around with my dad are likely why I associate soccer with developing relationships. Busy weekends packed with soccer games are likely why I don't consider weekends to be my downtime but rather the time to catch up on work and exercise. 

Soccer only became a larger and larger part of my identity as I grew older. From the age of 12 to 18, a day didn't go by when I didn't have practice or a game. Soon I was spending more time with my club/school coaches and friends than with my mom. As a result, these formative years of my life were likely shaped more by soccer than by my mom. 

Of course, my mom is responsible for many of the core aspects of my personality but, soccer undoubtedly shaped me in a major way as well. My work ethic developed from the day-in and day-out hours of practice that I had to attend regardless of my mood or injuries. My passion for leadership developed from years of helping my teammates by being the captain of various teams. My competitiveness developed from always striving to perform the best that I possibly could in order to win every match. The list goes on...

But what were all these years of soccer even for?