There was a girl. She loved soccer. She found her strength within herself.

It was a normal day. She had a soccer tournament, like any usual weekend. Soon the whistle blew for the game before them and her team joined her as they ran onto the field. This field will soon hold many memories to laugh about as she grows up. She wasn’t alone, there were two others. Dani and Riley. Their coach, Simon, told them their game would be tough. That they would need to give everything they had.

They knew they could do it.

About ten minutes into the first half, it was tied zero to zero. Her team gave the opponents a corner. Dangerous. The team was never good at defending corners. Something not valued. The other team took the corner her team just watches. Typical. Since the ball goes to the player closest to her, she went towards the ball.

She ran, at what she thought was her top speed. Looking back now, she knows it wasn’t. She could see Dani run towards the ball as well. At what looked like her top speed too. Little did they both know they would be too late. In a quick second, the opponent got the shot off. She turned her head as the ball hits the back of their net. Her heart sank.

“It’s all my fault.”

She was in such a fog that she could hardly hear her coach screaming. Then the two girls got subbed out. They never got subbed out. Both girls looked at each other, very confused as to what was happening. As they walked over to their bench, she could tell the coach was mad. Extremely mad. Disgraces were what they felt like after being yelled at. Out of fear, she attempted to sit next to the other subs on the bench.

“Get off the bench, you don’t deserve to sit with the team.”

Her heart sinks to her stomach and her breathing got heavy. Blood rushed to her head and could not find the words to reply. But what was there to say?

Heartbreaking.

This team was her family and she could not even sit with them. What had she done wrong? The girls sat on the ground. As if they were animals. Soon, another goal is given up. Now, it was two to nothing, the other team in the lead. She kept thinking it was her entire fault. But everybody else knows it was not.

These thoughts clogged her brain. She looked over to her parents. Their worried faces were scary. Soon after the second goal, another teammate joined her and Dani on the ground. She too was blamed for a goal. Then, the other subs on the bench stand up and accompany the three on the ground.

The other subs try to say things to make them feel better, but nothing really worked.

They stayed quiet enough to hear the whistle of the wind.

The game went on, and then a third goal was given up. But no sub…

At halftime, the team was down three to nothing. She stood with the other subs to go to their halftime talk. But soon a “Sit down, you aren’t apart of this team today. You let all of us down,” emerged from the unusually quiet coach. The three of them carefully sit down on the ground again. Her breathing is heavy again. She never did like doing things wrong. Words could not describe the shame she felt.

He continued to point at them. She looks at the ground, wishing she could turn back time. Her body was now cold. On a hot day, she was cold. Pains ran up her spine.

In that moment she needed strength, but all she could hear was her coach apologizing for her. Apologizing for making them lose. As if that made her feel any better.

They hear the usual blow of the whistle that signifies that halftime is over, and the fixed team goes out to fight. Her body ached with anger and frustration.

Shame was the only emotion she could feel.

But it’s as if a wall blocked any noise from escaping her stone cold lips.  The game was now tied three to three, and a weight is lifted off of her chest. “It’s not all my fault anymore.”

But it never was.

  When there were fifteen minutes left, he puts the three of them back in the game.

A slim chance to redeem themselves.

As she tried to play her usual game, she vowed to never make the same mistake.

They had another game. He gave them a chance to start over even after yesterday’s performance. A rare opportunity.

She started to shake when she walked on the field. Too nervous to function. Known as calm, but had a storm brewing inside of her.

So far, the game was fine. No big plays happening. Except she spoke too soon, a corner was given. They were not letting this ball get away this time. Sweat dripping in the heat of the late morning was on the back of her neck. She shook off any nerves as she blocks the corner and the game goes on. It seemed as if it was no big deal, but it really was the world.

Two years later and ever since, the memory of that game flashes in her mind. That mistake has never happened since. She knew she had redeemed herself. In every game from then on, she has kept that promise to herself. She might make mistakes, but that certain mistake will not be one of them because she has learned to do better. Now known as hardworking. A fighter. She has kept her promise. 

“Thank you for another chance”, is what she would say.

“Thank you for helping me find my strength”.