“This isn’t just a soccer team it’s a soccer FAMILY.” On February 10, 2016 it wasn’t just another high school day it was a special day, the very last game of our 2016 soccer season. As we the 2016 JV girls soccer team did our warm ups on the nice green synthetic field at Centennial Regional park field 2 for the final game we watched the Estancia girls walk in with high hopes and a horrible attitude. This game had taught not only me but the team as well it taught us that it’s not about winning it’s about how you play in the game and it doesn’t just take talent but it takes hard work and dedication to the game.

For instance, I have learned it does not only take talent but dedication and hard work during the game. As the game began the ball would zoom from one side to the other and you would hear it when it passed you “whoosh.” Just as we started to become confident BOOM the ball had been curved into the goal and from just one goal it became two goals. The anger overcame us as they began to tease us, our faces were as red as tomatoes. “Beeebeebeep” the ref blows the whistle for halftime. As we get in our huddle the tears runs down my cheek and as I looked around I had seen lots more tears on the faces of our soccer family. Coach Teresa looks at us with her loving yet scary eyes and simply says “You guys are better than them and I know our last game together will be better so fix the mistakes and go out there with your all!”

To demonstrate that I learned that it’s not all about winning but based on how you played, we went out to 2nd half trying as hard as we could. As we start to put more pressure they start to become more physical and hit even pull us down. As i began to run I had felt a rough tug on my shirt and then I went flat on my back making a “Boom” sound cause i had hit my head. Than BOOM another goal in 3-0 the anger filled our body and bam there goes an argument. Jackie from my team and Natalie from Estancia started pushing each other and yelling “What do you have a problem?” The games becomes more aggressive, coaches yelling across the field “SHUT UP AND CONTROL YOUR TEAM!” both coaches yell. We kept pushing and pushing fighting until we hear “Beebeebeep” the game was over. We had all got to say our last speeches as a team and we all knew this wasn’t just a team but a family.

In conclusion, I have learned it doesn’t just take talent it takes hard work and it’s not about winning it’s about how much you put into the game. In the end of my speech I was able to to tell them “This isn’t just a soccer team it’s a soccer family.” I got to know the real meaning of trust and friendship with these girls and I know that if I ever need to talk to someone it would be one of them. These girls are the one’s you think you would fear but they shouldn’t be feared because once they are comfortable around you it’s like you’re a part of a new family.