A Lesson Learned

A Lesson Learned

Carlos

9/27/2022

A few summers ago, futbol was the core of my life. Every day, I would go out to practice by myself because it allows me to focus on technical work I cannot do at group practice. Once, I decided the day was perfect for endless hours of nonstop futbol. I walked up to an empty goal and put my stuff down at Kendall Soccer Park. Across the field, a group of older men was playing eleven versus eleven games. Half of the men were shirtless, and the other half had on the fake jerseys they probably found in the sale section of Dicks Sporting Goods. Like every other teenager who thinks they’re hot stuff, I look down on them. They lacked speed and endurance; in my head, I knew I could lap circles around them. I was sure they were no match for me on my field.
Quickly, I realized my overconfidence was affecting my game. The more I looked over at the other field, the more negativity got to my head. Progressively, my accuracy suffered. One shot missed, and every attempt after continued to miss. I got so frustrated that one of my shots went over the goal and onto the field where the older men were playing. One of the players stopped the ball and invited me to join their game. I knew this was my chance to show off how easy this would be. Confident I was the best player on the field, I decided to give it a shot.
To my surprise, my opinion of them quickly began to change. Throughout the game, the other team was getting past me and stealing the ball effortlessly. More than half of the players were larger than me, which made it harder to take back possession of the ball. My selfishness led to a first-game loss, and I felt terrible for letting my team down. Seeing that I was distraught, one of the older guys brought me aside and said, " I know since you are young, you think that you are the best one on the field, but there is no I in the team. Do not forget that." It took a second for me to digest what he just said because it sounded so corny, but it was true. I was too selfish and needed to let go of my arrogance for the sake of the team. These people are not here as competition but to help each other improve as a team and as individuals. For them, futbol is just an opportunity to relive their younger years and stay in shape. For me, futbol is everything. Once we started the second game, I knew it was my shot at redemption.
In the first half, I was getting adjusted to how they played. I learned to make the right passes and be in the correct position. We got in tune with their rhythm which allowed our team to anticipate their moves and communicate better. Our chemistry was restored. I could call out for the ball and they would pass it to me, trusting that I would not lose it as instantly as I did before. My team was fighting for every ball, tackle, and goal. Our confidence kept growing. At the final whistle, I scored two goals and one assist. The game ended three to one.
High off the intensity and adrenaline, we continued playing match after match. The teams switched up every game to keep it interesting and to test our capabilities as individuals. Even with different teammates, the chemistry was undeniable. All the older guys loved my young spirit, and after many matches, they all tried to keep up with me. They were feeding me the ball in almost every play. It felt amazing being able to grow and learn from these older men. I spent so many hours training myself to be better. Studying plays and repeating drills thousands of times until I could even stand when all along I should have been trying to become more of a team player. I learned that I should not judge a player by their size or age or experience. After the games, I asked some of them where they knew how to play futbol. They were all from South America, as far as Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela. Those countries breed talented futbol players, so it was remarkable to play with them. A few of them were even ex-professional players. They showed me some tricks I can do on the field to better position myself.
They had a lot of interesting views on futbol that I had not thought of. Some of the tips they gave me were simple and easy to fix. Passing the ball quickly, or not dribbling aimlessly without purpose. Their advice was helpful in many ways, and the experience showed me that there is still plenty to learn about futbol. Overall, the main point they talked to me about was to be unselfish, to put my ego aside to bring out the best in myself. They told me, "You can hurt the team just by not completing one pass. But when you make the pass, they can pass it back or have a better opportunity to score than you. You want to be the goal scorer, the person who wins it for the team. Do everything for the team because, without them, you will be nothing. "As much as they taught me about the technicalities of futbol, what I learned from them are skills I can take with me on and off the field: the importance of teamwork and selflessness.
We kept talking for a while after the games finished. The sun was setting, and my mom was calling me nonstop to get home. They said I could come back to play with them weekly about future games. They play every Monday and Wednesday at one o'clock. Walking back to my car, I was drenched in sweat. I did not know that the futbol community around my house was unique. I still play with them from time to time to show them how I have improved. It was such a significant experience that influenced my futbol now.
This experience impacted me in a major way. It showed me how understanding a different perspective can bring out the good in yourself. It has shown me how I can help out my teammates in club practice. If I see them making the same mistakes over and over again I could give them the outside perspective to help improve their technique. Constructive criticism helps you realize that you are not always right and there is always room for improvement. Overall, the experience has taught me that no one is perfect and there is always something to learn. We must be open minded and accept that even those who we think less of can teach us the biggest lessons.