What I’ve learned from playing football

I’ve been playing football for over 19 years now, both trying to make it professionally and just having fun with my friends. However, what I’ve learned is that the game for me never changes, the desire to win remains all the time and fun never disappears.

I first started playing football when I was 7, my dad came with me to the local football team and signed me up to go train. The rest of the kids were 10 years old and above which for a 7-year-old boy is a massive difference, not only that but our height and stamina were different as well. To say that I was feeling pressured and a bit scared by my older peers wouldn’t be enough. However, my dad and I talked it through that this is the only way I will be able to learn quicker and mature as a person from a younger age. I definitely didn’t understand the second part but then all I cared about was playing football, so any reason that I was given by my dad would have sounded right.

For a number of months since I started I had to focus on building up my confidence with the older guys in my training while getting the stick for any wrong I do. It was probably a few months after I started that I made a couple of friends that I started playing football with outside of training and hanging out playing video games with. Reflecting back, things take time but as long as I was trying it would have happened at some point.

I would love to say more about my journey and write more, but I’ll dedicate a separate blog about my football experience and why I believe it’s one of the best things that happened in my life and my pure love for it. In this blog, however, I’ll give a couple of more life lessons I learned directly by playing this magical sport.

When I reached the age of 10 I was first selected to be part of the group that is going to play in the national league against teams from other cities across the country. I was flying, I couldn't wait to tell my family and friends that I’ll be playing official games with a referee. All I was dreaming of at the time was scoring a goal and celebrating with my friends there on the pitch. The bigger dream of becoming a professional footballer was now more realistic.

However, reality kicked me hard as for a number of games I didn’t even play a minute of a game. I was always on the bench waiting for my moment of glory. I was devastated and crying after each game that I couldn’t play. What I wasn’t aware of was the other boys performed better in training, they looked ready and showed the passion and skill that the coach wanted. It was my grandad that comforted me at first and gave a motivational speech that to get to the pitch and show the coach that I can be trusted, I first need to prove myself in training. It’s the hard work that we need to put in behind the scenes that will allow us to shine in front of the crowd. It wasn’t much long after that I started to bring more confidence to the training ground and desire to work harder than the rest.

I had to work hard for a few months until the moment came. During a game against the lower-ranked teams in the second half of a game, my manager turned around from the sidelines and gave me the instructions to get ready to play. I was buzzing and got game-ready in a matter of seconds. With the feeling of being trusted, I couldn't let my teammates and manager down, so I got that confidence boost and played the game like my last. I didn’t score nor was the best player on the pitch since I came in, but I proved myself, I got the trust that I needed, all because of the hard work that I have put in behind the scenes during training.

I can keep going with everything that I’ve learned while playing football but the important thing to remember is that perseverance and consistency are one of the key drivers for becoming a better version of yourself. If I wanted to continuously be selected to play for the first team I had to prove my manager that I am ready to play during our training sessions and then when I get the chance to play in the match to not be afraid. Mistakes are always made, you can’t live life without making a wrong decision but once you do, you should become aware and learn from that experience.

I’ll forever be grateful for the opportunity I had to play football from a young age and be surronded by friends. I hope everyone takes their own learnings from any sport they’ve played or still do as it’s not the win that’s important but how you live that journey and what you learn from it.