13 YEARS

For thirteen years, soccer was the backdrop to my life. I started playing when I was only three years old, so small that the jersey nearly swallowed me whole. What began as simple Saturday morning games quickly evolved into practices, tournaments, and seasons that shaped the rhythm of my childhood. Soccer wasn’t just a sport, but it was the first place I learned what it meant to commit to something bigger than myself.

Those years taught me about hard work long before I fully understood the concept. There were cold morning practices, late-night drills, and moments when improvement felt agonizingly slow. Yet, each time I stepped onto the field, I learned that progress is built quietly. Repetition after repetition, day after day. Dedication became a habit, not a choice. Soccer instilled in me the discipline to show up even when I didn’t feel ready, a trait that now influences everything I pursue.

Teamwork was another lesson woven into every game. I learned how trust is built in the spaces between passes, how communication can change the momentum of a match, and how supporting others ultimately strengthens you. Even at a young age, I realized that success is rarely individual. It comes from collaboration, accountability, and the willingness to put collective goals ahead of personal comfort. These lessons stayed with me long after I hung up my cleats.

As I move forward throughout the rest of my life, I recognize how much of my foundation comes from the field. The real-world requires awareness, connection, and the ability to understand people, much like learning to anticipate a teammate’s next move. The future demands long-term thinking, incremental progress, and a commitment to goals that may take years to achieve, echoing the same discipline I learned during training seasons. And in everything, collaboration isn’t optional. It is the core strategy. The mindset I developed in soccer naturally aligns with the kind of thoughtful, team-oriented problem-solving paths I aspire towards.

Thirteen years of soccer didn’t just shape my childhood, they shaped the way I work, think, and lead. The sport taught me to value effort over ego, progress over perfection, and teamwork over individual recognition. As I continue building my career, I carry those lessons with me. Not as memories of who I was, but as guiding principles for who I am becoming.