Purple Haze
A love of the game
By Elizabeth Thomas

October 21, 2010

This past Saturday, as I watched ten-year-old girls play soccer with smiles on their faces and determined spirits, I couldn’t help but reminisce my days of Rec-League soccer. It seemed like only yesterday I was dribbling awkwardly down the field next to my teammates while parents shouted words of encouragement from the sidelines. Sometimes I had no idea what I was doing, except what the coaches told me, and I could only pass the ball or make a shot and pray it went in the right direction. Time passed, and as I continued to play, I improved, but one part of soccer always stayed the same, and this was the love of the game. When students are young and innocent, you can tell they play soccer, or any sport, not because they are excellent at it or because they enjoy eating orange slices at snack time, but simply because they love to play.

Although I did not carry a love for sports into my years at high school, many student continued to pursue athletics. Now that they have become older, the love of the game and the thrill of competition intensify. Students hope for more than a small, plastice trophy and want things like athletic scholarships and recognition. This is all important and they should be encouraged for chasing accomplishments such as those, but having fun and loving what you’re doing should never be lost. This doesn’t only appy to sports but in school and jobs as well. It’s essential to love what you are doing because if you don’t, you may not be doing it to the full. So, as I watch the boy’s soccer team finish out their season, some who’ve played since childhood and some who’ve not, I can be certain that they play because they have a genuine love for the sport.