The whistle blew, loud and clear, piercing through the quiet, mid-april morning. There was the thunk of the ball being passed, the “I’m open, I’m open!” Of players, ready and waiting for a pass, the orders being yelled out by the coach, the younger siblings whining on the sidelines, the goalkeeper shouting instructions at the defenders, and the pounding of cleats thumping against the grass. These noises, this absolute utter chaos, made only one feeling bubble up inside me. Confidence. All of my doubts and insecurities melted through me, replaced by only confidence as I dashed down the field after my teammates.
I (as you may have been able to tell) love soccer. I feel it brings people together. Maybe you watch, or play soccer. Maybe you hate soccer. I don’t know. what I do know, is that there are obviously pros and cons to everything, even soccer. If you hate soccer, you can read about all the reasons to hate soccer. If you love soccer, you can read about the reasons you should love it even more! If you don’t pay much attention to soccer, here’s your chance to see if it’s something you’d enjoy, or something you’d despise with every fiber of your being. Anyway, without further ado, I give you: the pros and cons of soccer!
Pro: The confidence boost. It is an absolutely incredible feeling to step out on the pitch, your cleats too tight, shin guards pinching your legs, then charge out to your position with an epic battle cry.
Con: The rules. Namely, the complexity of the rules. Offsides, backpasses, handballs, and a variety of other things I still have to double check with my coach. Yes, even handballs are complicated. If the ball is coming at your face and you put your arms up to protect your face, that’s considered a foul and the other team will get a free kick.
Pro: Teamwork. One thing you learn pretty quickly is that if you want to win, you have to work together. It’s not just a cheesy saying, it’s actually true. I know from personal experience. Being on a team is one of the best parts about playing soccer, because through thick and thin, your team will have your back.
Con: A lot of effort, very little scoring. As with all sports, you have to put a lot of effort into scoring, but in soccer, you don’t score very frequently, and you only get one point per goal. But I guarantee you, it’s all worth it when you do score.
I don’t know if I changed your mind about soccer, or maybe sparked an interest in it, but I hope you at least enjoyed reading about it. Soccer is such a beautiful sport, and I think it’s a way for people to come together. Thank you for reading.