I have played soccer my whole life. Growing up I knew that Saturday mornings would consist of soccer practice, followed by a game on Sunday. As I grew up and played high school soccer, I knew from the middle of August to the end of October days would be filled with long practices and competitive games. Yes, I did get sick of this at times, but I always continued to play because of my love for the game. When I went to college, I didn’t realize how much I would actually miss playing the game and being with my team. The following is a list of things I miss most about being a soccer player.

1. Being on a team

Being on my high school soccer team created some of my fondest memories of high school. My team was unique in the sense that the majority of my friend group made up the team, so much to my coach’s dismay going to practice was essentially like hanging out at someone’s house, just at a soccer field instead. Being on a team and having that team bonding experience is something I really miss about being a soccer player.

2. Bus rides

As annoying as away games were, something about sitting on the bus with my teammates was always something I enjoyed. Whether it be blasting music, eating snacks, harassing my coach by taking pictures of him with snapchat filters, or just laughing, bus rides were always a fun part of being on my soccer team.

3. Pre-Season

This one sounds a bit crazy but let me explain myself. For those of you reading who do not know this, preseason for varsity soccer usually consists of waking up early, running an absurd amount, going home, icing your body and inhaling your entire kitchen, then going back to the field to play soccer for two more hours. This time period lasts about two weeks. As crazy, and painful as this may seem, preseason was always a time we could look back on and laugh at. Further, it is always satisfying when you make it through alive and injury free. My friends and I still talk about specific memories during each preseason and can distinctly remember the ones that were the most and least painful.

4. Homecoming

My personal favorite is homecoming. Every year my team and I would eat dinner before, get to the field early, put on eye black, blast our warm up playlist, and take pictures. It is always so exciting to have the whole school, even if they only come at the end to watch the boys game with ideal seating, watching you play under the lights. And in my case, my senior year we won against our rival of the season, Hastings.

Of course, I miss playing soccer. I grew up loving the game. But, as you can see, what I really miss is being with my friends and being on a team. I was very lucky in the sense that my team was pretty much the same all four years of high school and we played under the same coach for three out of the four years. I am fortunate enough to be able to look back on my soccer career and have positive memories of my team.