Soccer

I always say that playing soccer in college was one of the three best decisions I have ever made. I believe that for many reasons. Here are a few in no particular order.
#1) I made terrific, wonderful friends.
#2) It started my love of running.
#3) It renewed my love of team sports.
#4) We had more fun than should be allowed.
#5) I love soccer uniforms...mostly the shin guards and long socks.
#6) If we played at night, we got to play on the football field with lights!
#7) We went from awful to good (maybe just decent...Tonya, what do you think?).
#8) I love the fall weather.
#9) The memories of the games, practices, & overall experience is too great for words.
#10)We got to take fun photos like this one. (grin) Notice the flat ball.
#11)Tonya and I were the first two Tabor women to letter 4 years in the sport of soccer.
#12)We got to go tubing at Marion Lake with our team/coaches.

I wish I could sit for hours and just write out all the memories that come to mind, but I will settle for typing just a few.
**I love that the first soccer game I ever saw was the first game I played in. I didn't even know all the rules. In fact I got a yellow card for catching the ball when I was guarding the post. I thought if you were in the goal box, you could touch the ball. Oops. In my mind that yellow card is still about the size of a poster board.
**I still laugh out loud when I remember Amy Greb running with a side ache hunched over. She was so awesome that she wouldn't quit.
**Our team would show up with our hair in pony tails with matching ribbons while the other teams were belching and/or spitting on the field. It totally grossed me out. I love how girlie our team was.
**I love the feeling of scoring goals. I didn't score many, and they were hard to come by, but I loved it.
**I loved my position - right midfield. Midfielders run our hearts out, and I loved it.
**I love that Coach Brubacher and his family would run with us during conditioning, and they'd also show up to scrimmage us.
**I love that Aaron begged my coach to sell him my old jersey after our last season. I still have it and love it. #5

I am so GLAD that I took the risk and tried something new. Thank you, Tonya, for asking me to try a new sport that first week at Tabor.
Go Bluejays!

P.S. I think I might go put on some shin guards and soccer socks just for the fun of it.

Photo: Miriam Winslow, Tonya Raugust, Hayley Kusch, Jill Sammer - maiden names...1996...Tabor College, Hillsboro, Kansas