Soccer: Not Just a Game!

Tears streamed down my face. Post-game treats didn’t taste good. Parents of my teammates used to tell me that soccer is just a game. But when I was young, soccer was never just a game to me.

I moved to the St. Louis Park, Minnesota from Cambodia when I was nine years old in 1998. Half a world away from home in a strange land and not being able to speak a word of English, I felt pretty small, scared and lonely. I carried on my shoulders these feelings for the longest time, until my gramma signed me up for traveling soccer that very spring.

Until this day I can never thank her enough. Soccer has been a footstool that has allowed my to stand eye level with everyone else that had a head start. It became a game that has helped define who I am today.

I can recall my first practice like it was yesterday. On a chilly spring morning my gramma dropped me off at Ainsworth Park in St. Louis Park. On one side of the field there was a great big hill, and on the other side was low-income housing. I showed up to my first practice in denim shorts and a grey tee shirt that read ‘World’s People’ across my chest. After the first practice was done, that was my history in the making.

The team that I played for was average at most, but the team that was a year older called “Spam” they were awesome in my eyes. I don’t remember how it came about, but one game I got an opportunity to play with them, and I thought it was awesome. Because I was already registered to play on the younger team, and I didn’t want to abandoned my few new friends, so I came up with a plan. I used to go my practice and then quickly biked to Spam’s practice. Then when they had games, I would just show up to their games just to watch. My scheme had worked, because whenever they needed players to call up I was the first in line. For a few years that’s what I did, going to two practices and trying to play on two different teams.

I can’t recall the exact year, but finally they just put me on Spam. It must have been when U13. Anyways, this story isn’t about me finally making a decent traveling team. I became incredibly close to the guy that coached Spam. Through out the year he was like a second dad to me. With my parents constantly worked multiple jobs, any games that I couldn’t get to on my bike he always had my back, and I couldn’t thank him enough for all that he has done. He is just one example of how soccer has transformed my life.

My small soccer community in St. Louis Park was so supportive and loving. With little success that I brought upon myself through soccer, I became visible. No longer did I felt lost or lonely in a strange place. Soccer has created a little nest for me in St. Louis Park.

Even though soccer was my love at the time, I was very academically driven. I wanted to be the best soccer player I can be and that mentality carried into the classroom; I wanted to be the best student I can be as well. With professionally successful parents standing on our sideline supporting their kids and me, soccer had provided me another treasure: role models. I was exposed to different parents that had really nice jobs, which allowed me to dream big as well.

As I got older my support from my community strengthened and my skills developed. When my team started to kind of disassemble, I went to play for Bangu. That in itself was a totally different experience. I met a great deal of people with a great deal of talent and it allowed me the exposure I needed at the time. Different tournaments allowed college coaches to notice me, and I ended up at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. I went to Milwaukee with 4 of my buddies from Bangu. Time spent in close proximity allowed our friendship to grow tremendously. Until today they are some of my best friends.

For me, it’s not just about the friendship that I have with my friends, but their families are important to me too. I developed some great relationships with Bangu players, but I have to mention Coach T, because that was and still is my boy. He’s like another second father of mine, and if someone is actually reading this carefully he or she probably think “Dang, how second dads can this dude have?” I really appreciate the trust that had for me, whether it’s on the pitch or around his boys in settings that can be sometimes sketchy.

After one year at Milwaukee, I transferred to Augsburg College. I graduated from Augsburg with a bachelor of science in biology. Many people of my ethnicity don’t go to college, and for those that do, do not usually graduate. I beat the odds, and I had soccer to thank. Soccer wasn’t just a game for me. It brought all the wonderful people along the way that made it possible for me to stand here right now. Now that college is conquered, hopefully medical school is next.

Maybe those parents were right, soccer is just a game, and it was them who made my journey to now possible. Haha, I’m just kidding about that last sentence. I’d be crazy to allow anybody to tell me that soccer is just a game.