My Journey in Soccer by Dylan

When my career started ( 2012)

dmcnrfa11 — 2024-09-25 16:50:23 UTC

As a kid like a lot of other kids, you try all kinds of things to see what you like and what fits you. My parents put me into sports when I was around five years old. I played basketball, baseball and soccer. I was never really good at other sports besides soccer. For some reason I just had better coordination with my feet then I did with my hands. So in my small town of Vinton Virginia I joined a rec soccer team and never looked back.

Moving to North Carolina (2015)

dmcnrfa11 — 2024-09-25 16:50:23 UTC

I originally grew up in Roanoke Virginia and moved to North Carolina when I was eight years old because the job my dad works for was relocated to Raleigh North Carolina. Yes, I had played for 3 years prior to moving but soccer just seemed bigger and more available to me when I moved. Since I was still young and wasn't the greatest athlete I played more recreation soccer. This is when I really started to love the game. My coach was amazing and made the game fun for me and my teammates.

My best memory of Rec soccer (2015-2016)

dmcnrfa11 — 2024-09-25 18:06:13 UTC

Playing rec soccer in North Carolina were some of my best times playing soccer. Just because I felt so free and it was something I could just go out and enjoy without any worry. I had a game on a Saturday morning at my local soccer park. That day I scored 5 goals which is the highest amount I've ever scored and I was on top of the world. The sensation of watching your shot go into the back of the net is something so rewarding and it's one of the many reasons why I love soccer so much.

Trying out for travel soccer (2016)

dmcnrfa11 — 2024-09-25 18:18:40 UTC

After my last recreation season my coach told me it was time to move on from rec soccer. He said that I was too good to be playing rec and since I was older I was ready to play at the next level. So my parents researched clubs around the area for me to try out. Luckily, the recreation organization I was just playing for turned into a travel club. It was called Neuse River Futbol Association (NRFA). So that spring I tried out for my age group. At the time there was 3 teams, the A team, the B team and the C team. The A team being the best and the C team being the worst. I thought the idea of playing travel was just so cool and was excited to play. I ended up making the C team, and even though it was the worst team, I was just ecstatic to be able to make one.

The first year of travel soccer (2016-2017)

dmcnrfa11 — 2024-09-26 15:20:10 UTC

Going through that year was an experience to say the least. We were all young in our first club season going against teams that seemed to be way better than us. We didn't win many games for 2 whole seasons. That aspect was frustrating because I didn't like losing so many games. But just be able to make new friendships and build that brotherhood was something that has stayed with me till this day. Some of my teammates from when I was 10 on the C team I still play and talk with to this day.

2nd year of Travel (2017-2018)

dmcnrfa11 — 2024-09-26 15:31:41 UTC

With is being a new year I tried out for the the NRFA club again. This year I came in with higher hopes and hoping I would make a better team because I felt like I was getting better. When I was trying out I played decent. I did what I needed to do. Me anxiously waiting for the results, then I received the email that I made the B team. This was a big moment for me because my hard work and improvement was noticed. That year was a better for me, I was starting and playing a lot of minutes which was good for my growth as a player. I was just having fun being a player and it was something I looked forward to everyday, just itching to get back on the field. The team wasn't great based off of our record (wins and losses). But we were a team and every one was connected which made the year fun. Going to soccer tournaments at the end of each season were some of the best times. Staying in the team hotel with all of your friends and going out to dinner. It really created a bond and made me love the game more.

My first injury (2017)

dmcnrfa11 — 2024-09-26 15:57:03 UTC

So far through this journey I really hadn't had any major injuries. But during one practice we were playing a mini scrimmage versus one another. I was dribbling the ball down the line, when the my teammate went in for the tackle and missed the ball and swiping at my legs. I flew up in the air and I tried to catch myself and break the fall with my hands. But that was too much pressure on my wrist and I ended up breaking it. That pain was definitely rough. I was rushed to urgent care where I waited for over at least an hour just to be seen. That was ironic because it has "urgent" in the name but they weren't very urgent. Once I got into a room they took x-rays. They came back with the results and said that I had just sprained it and they gave me a brace. But there was no way that it was a sprain. Urgent care sent the results to a near by hospital and they came back saying my wrist was definitely broken. I ended being put in a cast and had to have it on for a couple of months. I went back to playing with a cast but I had to bubble wrap it for player safety and it was not ideal to run around with.

Middle School Soccer with COVID (2017-2021)

dmcnrfa11 — 2024-09-26 16:10:58 UTC

Going into middle school I didn't try out for the team my 6th grade year. My mom didn't want me to try out because I was going into a new school and she wanted to see how I dealt with being in middle school and already playing travel soccer. Another reason was most 6th graders didn't make it and they didn't play, they were just on a practice team. But going into 7th grade I made the team and it was fun. Traveling and playing against other schools, and some of my teammates were on other school teams. It was a fun experience to be on the school team and it had a different feel to it. But that all changed my 8th grade year for middle school soccer. COVID had really hit towards the end of my 7th grade year so I wasn't playing soccer for the school because the season was already over. COVID had a huge impact on everything, we had to wear masks during the games which just made it harder for me to breathe. Soccer just wasn't the same during those times and those fun memories of being on a team with everyone didn't have the same feel. I felt like we were separated and it COVID isolated everyone as a team. COVID also shortened the season which gave us even less time to play.

My first goal of high-school soccer (2021)

dmcnrfa11 — 2024-09-26 16:16:45 UTC

As a freshman I didn't play much, being on the team was a fun experience. Being in high-school and then making the soccer team was amazing. It was easier for me to make friends because we all loved the game. It was an away game at a school that was in our conference. We were beating the team up pretty bad so I was playing a good amount of minutes. A ball was crossed into my vicinity and I was able to get a shot off. It went into the back of the net and it was my highlight of the season.

Sophomore Season (2022)

dmcnrfa11 — 2024-09-26 16:24:25 UTC

I made the JV team again and I was confident going into the year. I ended up being a starter and I was playing a lot of minutes during the game. I had a good season scoring a couple of goals and racking up some assists. It was a good time during that season and I was just enjoying my time on the field. Staying for Varsity games were some of my best memories that year. Being able to watch the older kids and how good they were in competitive moments was a great way for me to learn as a player. Especially at away games, riding the team bus back to the school, celebrating a big win against a rival was memories I will never forget.

Junior Season and present day (2023-2024)

dmcnrfa11 — 2024-09-26 16:25:18 UTC

Going into Junior year I was hopeful that I would make the Varsity team. I had put in the work over the summer and made sure I was ready. I was so excited when I made Varsity because that was my ultimate goal with high-school soccer. But that season was one of my most frustrating seasons. I wasn't playing a whole lot and we only won 5 games the entire season. To be fair we were a young team as the graduating class the year before was 17 seniors, so we had some work to do. But not playing in the games when I had worked so hard was so frustrating and I didn't want to accept that. Ending off that season I was very frustrated with the coach and my playing time. Going into the senior season which is present day, I worked even harder. I made the team again and was ready for the grind. Currently I have contributed to the team, helping us win games and I consider myself an important part of the team. We have only lost one game and I'm hoping we can make it to the playoffs which would my final goal as a senior. Now i'm just enjoying my final season of soccer and just soaking up every moment.

Making the A team

dmcnrfa11 — 2024-09-26 16:40:27 UTC

Now that I have been playing travel soccer for a while. I was ready for my final push to make the A team. I was older, stronger, and more determined than ever. I made the A team and that was one of the highlights of travel soccer. I ended up being on that team for multiple years and we ended up winning multiple tournaments. I was with teammates that I had been with since the C team and it was just a great time. Being with those guys, we had made a strong bond and created some great memories. The best memory from that specific team was winning a tournament. We ended up dominating every team we played and I scored multiple goals. It was just a good time, and we were all having a lot of fun.