Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you? I am content at place where I can remain in a state of peaceful happiness, a place that naturally brings a smile on my face at the very thought of it. That place of zen is a soccer field for me. Soccer is definitely more than just a game to me; I do not simply play soccer, I live it. Ever since I started playing at the age of seven, every experience I have had on the field has shaped a part of my personality.
The soccer field has not always been a place of paradise. I frequently analogize my experiences on the soccer field to a bumpy road full of potholes and divots. On the soccer field, things do not always go as perfectly as I hope. Nevertheless, whenever I hit potholes on the soccer field, I just remember that regardless of whatever pothole may come in my path, I just have to keep my head up and put the past behind me.
I truly believe that all my negative experiences on the soccer pitch have made me a stronger person. It is said best by Rafiki in the original Disney movie The Lion King, “The past can hurt but the way I see it, you can either run from it, or learn from it.”All of the obstacles that I have overcome on the soccer field have made me a stronger person, a more confident person, and a happier person. Now, the soccer field is a place where I know that with my determination and drive, I can succeed regardless of the obstacles that may come on the field.
Being on the soccer field has also taught me how to be an effective leader. Leadership is one of the most important qualities in an individual. One of my coaches taught me that “Talent without leadership is doing the bare minimum. If you want to reach the skies, you have to develop into a strong firm leader.”
Every game, as a team captain, I lead a group of 12 young adults who give their blood all to achieve one goal – to win! It brings me great joy and pleasure when my teammates and I can achieve such a goal. However, I also feel blissful being able to both console and inspire my teammates to continue growing together as a team and to continue working harder individually after a tough loss. I have learned on the soccer field that a good leader is always present, but a great leader knows how to adjust and inspire in the most adverse situations.
Furthermore, I always feel at home on the soccer pitch because there is no other place where I feel more comfortable. Although it sounds cliché, I believe I can really be myself when I am on the soccer field. This sentiment stems from some “bumps” my family faced when I was young. When I was seven years old, my mom was going through an assortment of hardships in her personal and professional life.
Although we had family there to support us, I knew that I needed something to make me smile every day, something that allowed me to be free and in my own world. A close family friend motivated me to play soccer. He would drive me to all my practices and games so that my mom would not have to worry about it. Ever since my childhood, I used the soccer field as a place to escape the troubles in life and used it as a place where I could find my happiness.
I am happy, confident, and a leader on the soccer field. The soccer field has tested me and given me a chance to prove myself. It is the one location where I am at peace. It is a place where I feel complete and whole. It is the place where I am content.
