Soccer to me is not just a sport. Yes, I absolutely love the feeling of scoring a goal or winning a game, but it’s deeper than that.

My dad is one of the most encouraging and influential people in my life besides my mom. He is my role model when it comes to soccer. He started playing when he was a kid and was even offered a full ride to play in college. Unfortunately, six years ago my dad broke his back on the job and has been unable to play soccer since. At first, the doctors were scared that he might be paralyzed and in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. I thank God everyday that is not true. When he heard the bad news about himself he was crushed. My dad played on an adult team and I remember loving to go to his games when I was little. “Not playing soccer” was never a thought of his. He would eat, sleep, and breath soccer not because he was forced to or to kill time, but because he wanted to.

My dad’s favorite number is 5, and now I always wear the number 5 when I play mid-field or defense. I hope that one day, I will be as good as my dad. My goal is to get a scholarship to play soccer in college and practice hard every day to reach my full potential. It is easy to be successful when I am surrounded by teamates who are supportive and can give me tips on how to get better like my dad does to me. He tells me how he wishes he could play at least one more time, and I wish he could as well.

So no, I don’t play just because I love and enjoy soccer. I play because my dad can’t.