What's happenin' in the soccer world?

(Craig Bailey, FLORIDA TODAY.)

                     Recently our high school soccer season has ended. Following the end of the season we proceed into district tournaments, then regional tournaments, and then states. The Space Coast Vipers (us) ended up winning our first district game but lost the final game into making it to regionals. In our district though, the Merritt Island Mustangs were doing it big. Last year they just kept going, and going, and going. I mean it was Black & Yellow all over the place.

                Well it happens to be that time a year again and the Mustangs sadly lost in the final game in States. Here’s a little insert from Florida Today (A well-placed header with 2 minutes, 13 seconds remaining in overtime ended the Merritt Island girls soccer team's hopes of a second straight state championship. Carly Keene headed the ball in after a long flip throw-in by Lauren Laughlin as Steinbrenner beat the Mustangs 2-1 Saturday to claim the Class 4A state title at University of Tampa's Pepin-Rood Stadium. "We asked them to play with heart and soul -- they did it," Merritt Island coach Scott Carswell said of his players. "The other team came to play, as well. They got a good break there at the end. Win or lose, you're still proud of your kids. "I couldn't be more proud. You love these kids -- it's unconditional.")

                With that being included in my blog, I’d like to add that even though they lost that is still a great accomplishment. I personally know a few on the girls on that team, and play with them. That gives me hope for us next year to make it big. It’s going to be most of our senior years, 11 of us.  So its train hard, go big or go home. 2012 soccer season better get read because here we come!

                                      

Soccer, what is it?

                                                   

Soccer, what is it? Well it’s a sport with many things that most people wouldn’t know about it. When you play soccer you’re not only on a team, but your basically joining yourself to a new family. We spend tremendous amounts of time with each other. From practice every day after school, games every weekend, team bonding that lasts for hours on end, and traveling to tournaments. What happens is we become a family during that time. The closer you get with your team, the tighter the bond you have with each other on the field. What happens is you can end up forming some type of telepathy. Trust me, that's not a joke. In the game you kind of just know where that persons going to be without having to take the extra time to look for an open player. 

        Also a lot of people don't quite understand the rules o soccer. The biggest misunderstanding is "off sides" it's the rule that offensively you cannot be further back then the opposing teams defense before a player on your team has kicked the ball entitling it to go past the defense. Sounds pretty confusing I know, but if you play the game it's nothing new. Piece-a-cake. 

       Some little extra facts that possibly may be unknown are that we start the game with our shirts tucked in because if you pull someone’s shirt, that's a foul. That being said, if you’re having a nice little confrontation with someone and you come out with your shirt out, you will most likely get the call. 

       We use pre wrap (what you use when you have an injury and need to get taped) in our hair as head bands.  Soccer cleats unlike football, baseball, and softball, does not have the very front notch. It's not allowed. Goalies are not allowed to pick up the ball I their own team kicks it back to them. I headed, kneed, or chested that’s perfectly permitted. If a person scores 3 goals in a game alone it called a hat trick just like in hockey.

(The vision of a champion is someone bent over, drenched in sweat, to a point of exhaustion, when no one else is watching.)- Anson Dorrance

SOCCAAA!

               Sooo Typical, Kari Waivol “The soccer girl” to write about soccer. Well here’s the situation, most of you probably think soccer is extremely boring and stupid and I kind of understand that. It’s not a sport that you can just wake up one morning and decide “Hey I’m going to be a soccer super star today” Nope! It’s a sport that takes a tremendous amount of practice, determination, and dedication. It’s the type of sport you had to of known and loved since you were a young child.
                What most people don’t know is that the World Cup is the most watched sports finals worldwide. It’s also really cool that all the countries come together in unity to see who’s the best of the best, literally. Soccer and the World Cup especially is such an important thing to us soccer fans. Here’s an example of how we like to think of it. Some people believe soccer is a matter of life and death. I'm very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.“Soccer's a difficult business and aren't they prima donnas. But it's a wonderful game.”(Queen Elizabeth II To Premier League Chairman David Richards, November 2006.)               

 On another note soccer is something that I strive to do well in. It’s what I truly am passionate about. Soccer = my one true love. It’s a matter of if your first, you’re first. If your second your nothing. Most of the time we’re thinking about wining when it comes to soccer, but you also form the family bond with your team. It’s kind of refreshing in a way. I play club soccer and high school soccer, so I’m pretty much playing all year around. I’d have to say hands down, my favorite time of the year is high school soccer season. Every year your bond with the girls just gets stronger and stronger and in doing that the team progresses even further then the year before.

All in all I absolutely love it. It is what it is.