By MEGAN MAHARRY, Assistant Editor
“Train, Practice, Play…For the Love of the Game.”
Every athlete loves the Game. Playing the Game is the best part of any sport. The Game is both a reward and a challenge. After hours of practice and work have been put in, the Game is a player’s reward; a chance for them to show off all they have practiced for. The Game, however, is also a challenge. The Game is the time to challenge your opponent, and to test yourself—did all my hard work pay off?
As much as every player loves the Game, there is more to being an athlete to just playing the Game. The beforehand work can both enjoyable and frustrating. At times, the preparation work before a game can feel long and pointless. Practices can drag and seem endless when all you want to do is play the game.
However, if I have learned one thing in my time as a college soccer player, it is that the Training and Practice pieces are what determines the outcome of your performance in a game.
Training is an important part of prep work before a game. To Train is to learn a specific behavior or skill. In soccer, Training begins from the moment we begin playing. Training is all about learning how to play the game. The physical Training includes how to kick a ball correctly, how to become quick at dribbling and how to train your body to be in soccer shape. The Training, however, is not purely physical. Much soccer Training is done mentally. Mental Training can sometimes be harder than the physical Training. Training the mind is as important as Training the body. Mental Training includes having an overall knowledge of the game, knowing what you are to do with the ball before you have even received it and pushing your body to finish every play even when your muscles scream in fatigue.
Practice is a different aspect from Training. While Training is learning skills, Practice is the tool used to perfect these skills. Practice is an essential part of the game preparation. Practice sharpens the Training skills you have already learned. I have known how to kick a soccer ball since I was in elementary school, yet I still practice my kicking every day. Practice is no easy prep work either. Reviewing previous skills over and over again can become repetitive, especially when all you want to do is play the Game. However, without practice, the Game would not be worth anything.
Finally, it is Game Time. After weeks, months and sometimes years of training and practice, it is time to perform. Game Day is here, and it is one of the best feelings. All the time spent practicing and perfecting your play has paid off. The road to the game is not always easy or fun, but it is always worth.
“Train, Practice, Play…For the Love of the Game.”—The quote my coach uses for us Lady Ranger soccer players.
Because ultimately, everything an athlete does in Training, Practice and the Game is for the love of the games itself.