The Beginning:
When I was just a tot I fell in love for the first time. I fell in love with the single greatest game in the entire world. Americans and Australians know it as soccer; the rest of the world knows it as football. I was just a tot at the time and I could not grasp the rules of the game, but nonetheless, it was love at first kick.
Many years have passed since the day I first fell in love, and eleven years of playing women’s traveling soccer in the Midwest have come and gone, but I don’t love the game any less, in fact, I love it more.
I was at the Ernst-Happel stadium in Vienna, Austria when the final whistle blew at the 2008 European Cup final signifying the end of the game and a 1-0 win for the undefeated Spanish team against Germany. And while I felt joy for Spain and pain for Germany I couldn’t help but wish for the next two years to pass quickly, and pass quickly they did.
Is it of any surprise then that I have been religiously following every game of the FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010?
I can’t properly explain what was going through my mind when the World Cup started this past Friday, June 11th. But I realized something very important while analyzing how France had been playing during the first half of their game against Uruguay and while engaging in football-related discussions with my friends; it is difficult for me to explain all the positive emotions football makes me feel. It seems to me that whenever I do try to explain this phenomenon, my vocabulary automatically dissolves into a pile of mush.
Recently I discussed the 1-1 outcome of the England vs. USA game with my father. Not only is my father the one who introduced me to soccer/football all those years ago, but he is also my favorite discussion partner when it comes to critically analyzing football. I also daresay that if anyone is, my father is a walking, talking football encyclopedia.
Once my father and I ended our conversation, I had an epiphany: I must share my knowledge of football with others just as my father does with me. I realize that not everyone does or will share my love for the game and that is fine, but who knows…maybe I’ll be able to spark someone’s interest…
TTFN
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