A Whole New World

Now it was time for a new start: College Soccer. My old goals are no longer set in my mind. Some of them I accomplished, while others I did not quite reach. However, I think it is best not to dwell on the past; so, I made up my mind to become a more complete player and become muscularly fit (if thats a word). What is the best way to accomplish this goal? Well, I decided it was to enroll in the always popular for slackers weight lifting class at our very own Daviess County High School. Most people took this class so they wouldn't have to take a challenging class like anatomy. The consequence of this is a class 90 percent fool of kids that don't actually care a bit about getting stronger and enhancing their athletic abilities. Thankfully I had one good friend that was just as motivated as me about getting stronger. As most people know, if you don't have someone else there pushing you and spotting you, then you're not going to get the most out of your workouts. Chris also happens to be my best friend, so this weight lifting class was turning out to be a brilliant idea. It was now time for the first day of class and wow was I in for a big surprise. It was my turn to MAX OUT, which is a term used to show your progress as the class went along. My bench press MAX was only 145 pounds; there were some people in the class that had maxed over 200 pounds (but I didnt feel too bad because there were some guys who couldn't even bench 100 pounds). I felt pretty weak, but I was determined to increase my MAX by the most in the entire class. So what did I do? I set a goal to get my MAX up to 185 pounds, which Chris thought was unrealistic. I blocked out his remarks and now I had my complete focus on reaching my goal.

The Message

Well, I was always middle of the pack when it came to strength all the way through my junior year playing high school soccer. Of course I had a strong leg, but my upper body wasn't exactly filled out like it should be. So, the off season going into my senior year I started lifting a little, but still not as much as I should have. Then I was approached at one of my games by the Transylvania soccer coach, and he told me he really wanted me to come play for them next season. However, it was what followed that statement that really motivated more than anything: "if you put on a good ten to fifteen pounds of muscle in your upper body you have the chance to really compete for some good miunutes and maybe even a starting job." This was a huge wake-up call that I have used to motivate me. This was during the season so I couldn't start my strength training right at that moment because every good athlete knows that the majority of your improvement, as far as aerobic and strength, comes during the offseason. So, I finished the rest of the season with a few more coaches contacting me with the same message but none of them seemed to be the right fit like Transy did. I finished the season on a good performance of my own, but it was not the ending I had been dreaming of since I entered high school. We had lost to Henderson County in the regional Finals, the only positive being that I got All-Third Region Tournament Team. I couldn't really appreciate this award because I had failed in my goal to make it to the final four. My teamates and I were devastated becuase this was supposed to be our year to make it, but we had failed in the worse way possible, penalty kicks. The next few weeks I spend sulking, but then it was time for me to set my new goal: College Soccer.

Misconceptions

Many people don't realize what it takes to play soccer and perform at a high enough level to be a decent player. The common, yet false, mental image of a soccer player is a person that is very weak and runs a lot. Most people don't think it takes any strength at all to play soccer, but these are the same people that have never played an actual intense game. Of course the average soccer player has to have fairly strong legs, which the occassional bystander would probably agree with because soccer players obviously have to be able to shoot, pass, and cross. A soccer player must also have exceptional core strength to be able to withstand hard attempts of opposing players trying to knock you off the ball. Some bystanders might agree with this, while others might have some scepticism. It's the last part that hardly anyone can understand besides soccer players themselves: A good soccer player has to have a strong upper body! What if "good" isn't quite good enough? To be a great soccer player, you must have an exceptionally strong upper body. I'm not talking about offensive linemen (football) strong, but I am talking about the same kind of strength as a great basketball player. This is the part where people that don't play soccer really start to lift some eyebrows and chuckle. But, believe it or not, soccer IS a contact sport and people DO get hurt. Soccer is the third most contact sport behind only football and hockey; and yes I did put it in front of basketball, which is a sport that seems to have a foul every 30 seconds. Soccer is a game full of action that goes on for two continuous 45 minute halves that requires tremendous cardiovascular and muscular strength.