As I got to the field, the scent of nature rushed into my nose. The familiar smell of freshly cut grass, and the falling of the autumn leaves in the breeze made it a perfect morning for soccer. The air was crisp, not hot, nor cold. When I called out a teammate’s name, a light wisp of smoke came rushing out of my mouth but it soon disappeared, as quickly as it appeared. I could see the glimmer of the morning dew lying gently on the million blades of grass. As far as you could see, everything was green. The aliveness of it all gave me chills, adding to the growing anticipation for the game ahead. As I looked around the only things that possessed color was the goal posts, standing tall on either ends on the field, and the field lines, straight as and arrow and white as snow. The jerseys on our backs were a vibrant shade of green and the words on the fabric between our shoulder blades branded us a team: “Girls Soccer”.

From across the field I could see only two other players, but soon it would be more. They were calling out to me, I could not make out what they were saying as the words seemed to get lost in the heights of the trees. As I approached, the familiar voices of my teammates met my ears, as they had in our game the weekend before. My mind flashed back to our victory over Indian Hills, my teammates jumping, cheering, and yelling all around me.
I could see the bully of a white line covering every blade of grass in its way. This is a mark for others but a boundary for me; it was where the focus changed. Here was where the thoughts began to come of the game and what I would do, how I would beat my opponent, how we would win the game. Here was where it all started. My whole life has revolved around this game. The rush of the defender and the quick one-two passes. The way the ball just moves on the field. The elegant shots on goal, the amazing saves, the immaculate teamwork, and the cry of victory all made the game whole. This is the game; this is the life. Here holds the past and the future of our countless wins and loses. There would be an infinite amount of goals scored on this field. Now was when I could show the world what I loved to do. From the cleats to the ball to the skill to the goal, it all made up the game. It was my time to shine. It was my time to show those who did not believe in me that I could do something more. 

Now, the rest of my team had arrived at the field. We raced around our half of the field, warming up our bodies, loosening up our muscles, and preparing for the game. We looked over at the opposing team, trying to get a feel for who we were really up against. As we huddled together, the other captain gave a short pep talk, and then it was my turn to get the team excited.  We chanted and cheered and sprinted out onto the field, racing to the positions we had known our whole lives. We trained hard and we were ready. As the opposing goalie raised her hand, signaling she was ready, the ref looked me in the eye. I nodded my head menacingly, and then he blew the whistle. The game had begun.