What do you think of when you hear about the sport “soccer”? Do you think of kicking a soccer ball around, trying to kick it into a net? Or do you think about the skill needed to dribble the ball past the opposing defenders? Both of those are correct, though there is truly a lot more to the sport than just kicking the ball. There is passion, respect, skill, and love for the game. Let’s go over each of those four.
Passion. How could passion be a thing in a sport? It’s quite easy to answer, it’s the love for the sport, and the amount of will somebody could have to win the game, pushing their limits to do nothing but make the ball into the net. Whether it’s doing a trick such as jumping and kicking the ball in the air, or having multiple defenders on you yet you try your absolute hardest to keep going. There is so much passion in soccer, in every professional match, seeing someone score the winning goal in the last minute, watching them run across the field in excitement. That’s the passion of soccer.
Respect. Respect in soccer can be shown in many different ways. Whether it’s shown because of remembrance of a soccer player who passed away, or simply showing respect for other players if they got hurt by stopping play and helping them out. Respect is important in soccer, as it could build you as a player, a good reputation. Respect can be seen everywhere in soccer, in many different times and situations. Respect should be vital in every sport, so everybody knows to keep good sportsmanship in themselves. But in soccer, you see it the most. Respect is a huge part of soccer.
Skill. Skill is one of the most crucial parts of being a good soccer player. Skill is responsible for making players like Cristiano Ronaldo, and Messi, or Ronaldinho, famous for their skillful moves that they’ve pulled off. Also with their skill taking them to high and important tournaments, which then leads to them winning the tournament sometimes. Skill is really necessary in order to be a good soccer player. You should care about skill in soccer because the feeling you get when you finally master a move, then be able to dribble the ball to shoot it into the net, the feeling is beautiful. Which is why soccer practice exists, to hone your soccer skills.
Last but not least, the love for the game. Everybody’s love for this sport is what makes it passionate, respectful, and have the will to better their skills in the games. Knowing that everybody is watching you when you have the ball, either hoping you pull off something really good or mess up, it creates pressure, encouraging you to pull off something extraordinary. The love of even just watching the game, whether live in the stadium or at the comfort of your own home, when you find a team of which you really like and want to see win big things, you begin to love the game, love the passion, love the respectful moments, and love the skill moves of each player, all of which creating, the love for the game.
Photo Credits: Wall Street Journal
Cristian Alvarez-DeLaSalle-DMSF Class of 2028