With our record standing at 10-6-2, the leaves on the trees are beginning to change their colors and really welcome in the brisk and cool feeling of fall. It's that time of year where we all are looking not only at our own record, but everyone else's in our divisions as well. With some luck in other in conference matches, we could still be in good standing for the NCAA tournament at the end of the season. Right now, our last game will be played this Wednesday, October 27th at home. A win is expected from my coaches and teammates. The past three games we've had good wins, and were all smart enough to realize thats its because we put the work in where it needed to be. Hard work wins games in the end. The team with the greater amount of girls that are able to out work their marks will surely come out on top, most of the time.
The other small, but seemingly large part of the time, soccer revolves around luck. A shot that hits the post, a ball that bounces off a stub of grass the wrong way, a deflected ball, wind gusts that swallow shots whole are all part of the unfortunate mis haps in soccer games. A lot of games are decided by one goal in soccer. The average amount of goals scored in a game on the national level is just 3, both teams included. So, nail bitters and close finishes are very common. Often, referring is a huge part of the outcome of a game. Soccer referees probably get the most blame out of all the other refereeing sports in the world just because there is so much decision laid on their shoulders throughout the 90 minutes of play they need to watch. Towards the finish of a game, luck can have a tendency to run rampid. Missed calls, post shots, fouls, all are attributed from frustration and anticipation on both teams looking for the win. As the minutes on the clock tick by, more and more players become panicked and frustrated. Competition grows fierce and the adrenaline in the athlete's bodies soar. I know personally that when my adrenaline is rushing and i ear the crowd all around me, my eyes focus on the field and only the field. The ball becomes the object of certainty in every players mind. The thought of a game winning goal lingers in the back of your head, and the even better thought of success leads the way as your body gets tired, but your adrenaline helps to numb away the fatigue.
In comparison with other sports, soccer definitely has one of the longest game run times of ninety minutes, two 45 minute quarters. Fitness is a huge part of the game. By this time of year each season, every team is fitter than when they first started. As the season goes on, players get used to playing game speed constantly. With that, bodies also break down and reach their breaking points. Currently, four girls on my team are scheduled for surgery on their knees in the upcoming months so that they can rehab successfully to return next year to play. Other than surgeries, stress can be a major contributing factor in putting good soccer players on the bench. Stress can be the cause of tightness in muscles resulting in tears and pulls. It can also being on reactivations of mono, like in my case. It can bring on bad headaches and extreme fatigue. Learning to cope and deal with this is all part of being part of the team.
My teammates, me included, are all in this for the better of our team. Our season is nearing a close but we still have a lot to look forward to with the NJAC tournaments and the NCAA tournament right around the corner, and our goals can still be accomplished through hard work and a little bit of luck.
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