During my time at Malloch Elementary, I typically was found outside on the playground with a soccer ball. On the backside of Malloch Elementary there’s a roof and playground where all the kindergartners played. I would kick the ball onto the roof and try and control it as it came back to me. We also had this wooden board where I was not really allowed to go because it was for the older kids. However, I managed to slip by the lunch lady and would kick the ball against the wall for the entire lunch period. I loved hitting the ball because I was obsessed with the idea of putting a “bend” on the ball. It amazed me how someone can control the movement of a ball. And this feeling, a word I did not know then, is a reason why I am successful, curiosity . I wanted to know how to do everything and why things happened a certain way. So I asked and practiced and repeated until I mastered it.

 Being curious prompted me to ask questions. Wanting to figure out how to bend that ball, trap it a certain way, and understand why tactically we are playing a specific formation versus another strengthen my knowledge about the game. I wanted to know, even at a young age, how to break these things down. Being a student of the game was a crucial part of my development. I challenge every person reading this whether you are a soccer player or not to be outspoken and ask questions, especially when you do not understand. Question your coach on why he wants you to position yourself in one spot or another, ask your boss why you take those certain steps to fulfill our job requirement. Anyone can sit there and listen to someone tell him or her what to do and not learn from it. A simple question can go a long way and who knows how much you can learn and benefit from that.