I’ve played soccer for most of my life. Soccer is a challenging sport that’s like a school for important life skills which also gives health benefits. It also requires a lot of practice to improve.

Peter Krustap, leader of a research study comparing recreational soccer to running, wrote, “Soccer is a very popular team sport that contains positive motivational and social factors that may facilitate compliance and contribute to the maintenance of a physically active lifestyle.”

Throughout the years, it’s made me better at communicating with my teammates and my friends. I’ve had multiple times where I made a run down the line  to be open for a pass and I told them loudly so that they could hear that I was going to be down the line and it’s given the team a lot of goal scoring opportunities. When I’m with my friends, I’m quicker with thinking before saying something and I make sure I’m not too quiet so that they hear me.

While I’ve played soccer, it’s  helped me  with my physical health and my cardio has gotten better. My doctors have told me that playing soccer has helped me get my exercise in and that it will help me in the future. It’s also really helped me with my routines to stay healthy and fit for the sport.

Sports psychologist Dan Abrahams wrote, “Soccer is a game of speed. Pace will always play a beautiful part of the game but I’m not on about quick feet. I’m talking about a quick mind. I’m referring to nimble thinking. A soccer player should live, breathe, and sleep speed of thought.”

My coach always reminds my whole team that you need to have critical thinking during the entirety of the game when you’re on the field because you won’t have all the time in the world to choose the best option. This has happened to my teammates where they’ll hold the ball for too long and  miss an option and then the other team will get the ball that way.

People should give a try to soccer by joining the McKinley soccer team or joining a soccer club outside of school and they may find they’ll want to continue. It offers a challenge to all players, also takes dedication and effort, and teaches you social skills such as communication and gives physical/health benefits.