Why Soccer Is Important To Me Research Paper

Words: 622
Pages: 3

Every time I lace up my shoes, my palms start sweating, and I can’t think of doing anything else. That is what soccer does to me. That is what soccer for me. Even when it’s hard and ugly, when I am the focus of hate and on the receiving end of angry insults from people who are older and who should know better, as a referee, I cannot back down.
Life lessons can be found in the oddest of places, like the well-polished soccer fields that are my domain most weekends. It is a shame the behavior of the parents, coaches, and players who populate these fields aren’t as well shaped. More often than not, the opposite is true. They are coordinated to dislike me, but that’s why I love this job a lot. It’s the reason why I learned lessons that will help me in all aspects of life.
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The reason might be surprising-refereeing is terrifying. The first time I stepped on the field, I was 14 and I was very nervous. I wanted to leave the field and never come back because I was afraid of making the worst mistakes, ones that would enrage the players and parents. The parents, many of whom are cultured professionals practicing law and medicine, are anything but when they are on the sideline. They don’t see a kid who happens to be a referee. They see an enemy whose decisions directly affect what they desperately want. Normal rules of culture and society do not apply. More than once, I’ve awakened on Saturday morning, scared of going to referee that day. Never mind learning about the mechanics of a sport I enjoy, or having a job that demands fitness and understanding for little pay. When refereeing I am under strict examination by over-protective parents, competitive players and coaches, and die-hard fans; I am the object of insult and hate. People make excuses that they lost because of the ref’s call which makes me enraged because all I did was make sure they were following the