I was always a stubborn child. When I made up my mind it was set in stone. Whenever I didn’t know enough about something, I stubbornly determined that it was no good for me. For as long as I can remember my parents always had to force me to participate in activities and events that they thought would be good for me. For example my parents always remind me about how when they signed me up for my first year of soccer I pulled a big fit complaining about how I didn’t want to play soccer. A year or two later, soccer became my favorite sport. Its weird how I have not really changed. I still fear things I am unsure or don’t know anything about.

Opposed to my original thoughts my first soccer season was fun. I remember that I was put on a team with all of my friends and my good friend’s dad coached all of us. I was my team’s goalie and although I wasn’t any good I still had fun with it. I remember how big the goal and field used to look to me back then. Now when ever I go up to that field to ref the field looks no bigger than my dorm room. The next year I eagerly signed up for soccer again. I went on to play soccer every year for the next 12 years.

In high school I played soccer and basketball. Soccer was the sport that I enjoyed the most. I made a great group of friends (with whom I still keep in touch with) from playing soccer and learned many valuable life lessons as well. With playing soccer I learned how to be a leader, how to communicate better with others, and how to work in a team. Playing soccer my senior year was probably my favorite memory from high school. That year our team had the second best record in school history, we won our first league championship since 1996, and we made it further in the playoffs than any other soccer team in school history. While playing soccer for my school I felt a great sense of accomplishment. It made me feel as if I was an important member of my school, and not just some other student. I was filled with a sense of pride and achievement when I stepped out on that field and saw the stands filled with friends and family cheering me on. I don’t think I have ever felt so significant as I did then.

If my parents had never pushed me and signed me up for soccer I might have missed on that great experience during my senior year. Even now, though I am older, I still need to be pushed into something new or different. I still have not realized that its good to try something new and that it is okay to fail. I guess overall I just fear change. It took me four years to get comfortable in high school and now I have to start all over again in an even bigger school. Much like other people I like to have a safe zone where I am comfortable to be myself. Now that I am in Penn State I am forced to start all over again with new people who don’t even have the slightest clue as to who I am. But life is about change and as stated by Charles Darwin, only those who adapt and develop with change will survive.

I am now grateful that my parents went through all of that trouble to sign me up for soccer. Without their influence I might have missed out on a great thing. Although I was too stubborn to admit to the fact that my parents did a good thing in signing me up for soccer. When I think back to it the most important thing I can take away from this experience is that I need to be more of a risk taker. If I don’t take more risks I might miss out on something good.