Arms flailing excitedly, I felt my heart pound faster and faster as I closed in on the small goal I had seen so many times before in practice. "Go, Kaylin, go!" someone yelled from the sidelines. My mind was strangely calm with my sole thought being to strike the ball. I hammered it with all my might and watched with growing excitement as it slowly rolled into the back of the net. My teammates erupted in cheers as a huge grin spread across my face. Reflecting back at that first goal I ever scored as a little six-year old AYSO player on the Bumblebees team, I recognized this moment as the true beginning of my soccer journey. Over the last seven years, I have experienced a multitude of highs and lows, but I can point to one particular event that affected me in such a way that altered …show more content…
As I had anticipated, those were some of the longest and most difficult weeks for me to endure. I could not have imagined anything could be worse than not being allowed to play for 6 weeks, but 2 weeks into my recovery, I received an invitation to try out for the soccer Olympic Development Program (ODP). Being invited to try out as an 11 year old was an honor, especially since I was the only player from my team to get invited. I was so ecstatic and frankly surprised, but then reality hit me hard. Considering my situation, how would I be able to play soccer with a cast on my arm after not having even touched a soccer ball for so long? This opportunity was something I had worked for, and I remember a slow sadness washed over me. Eventually, I went to the tryout with my cast bubble-wrapped, already knowing my fate and felt a physical and mental difference in how I played the game. My mind always drifted to the possibility of being injured again, so as I expected, I didn't make it into the