Lilly

One week.

That’s all I have left.

I’ve had almost three months with my soccer team, and together we’ve gone through wins and losses, inside jokes and injuries, ups and downs that have managed to bring us together despite all odds. Now we’re down to our last week: one or two training sessions, a league game, and the last major tournament of the year.

I know I have improved as an individual, learning new skills in a new position and maintaining my old ones. Last week we spent an entire practice working on shooting and scoring goals, and it felt like coming home. I was in my element. In the last 20 minutes of practice, as we were running nonstop through drills, I didn’t miss a single shot. I am much more confident on the ball, much faster, much more physical, much more willing and ready to put my body on the line.

But the most incredible improvements have been those we have achieved collectively, as a team. Our long injury list did not stop us from playing with incredible heart. We often resorted to using “guest” players or younger girls to fill in the gaps, but we managed to develop chemistry on the field despite our constantly changing roster. We know one another now; we trust one another now.

This tournament will not be a laundry list of easy wins. It could be the hardest two days of our entire season. But I have confidence that we will go into each game ready to fight no matter how hopeless things may seem. We may just surprise ourselves.

Clear eyes, full hearts.

One week. ♦