Diary of a Striker with Bethany Balcer: Love the Game

Diary of a Striker is a Girls Soccer Network exclusive series from Bethany Balcer of OL Reign. Balcer will be giving readers an inside look at her journey as a professional player all season long. New posts drop every two weeks!

If I could give any young soccer player out there any advice, it would be to never lose their love and passion for the game. Soccer is a huge commitment, not only with your time but with your body and mind too. I train every day and I put my body through a lot physically. I have to be willing to push it past its limits in order to be the best I possibly can. I also must be mentally sharp when I step on the field. I can’t let outside emotions get in the way of my task on the field. So, when looking at everything that goes into playing soccer, it’s more than just sacrificing your time. It’s easy to let soccer overwhelm you. The travel. The toll on your body. The mental game. It’s a lot to balance. But in and through it all I hope you never lose the joy the sport is meant to give you.

Lately, I’ve been stressed out with soccer. Whether it’s dealing with a fickle injury, knowing my role on the team, or trying to understand tactics, I can get burned out easily if I look at all the things that are draining me. When you focus on those things, it can lead you down a path where you forget why you even play in the first place. Sometimes I have to take a step back from it all and look at the big picture.

I have played soccer for 21 of my 24 years of life. That’s a long time! But the reason I keep playing year after year? It brings me so much joy. The game itself. My teammates. The growth. The feeling of winning. It’s all so exhilarating. My passion for the game has stayed consistent. Now, have there been times where it doesn’t feel like I like soccer at all? Absolutely. I think every soccer player has gone through those emotions. But when we fix our focus from what’s frustrating us to what the game has given back to us, we are able to see the millions of memories that have made us who we are, both as a player and a person.

There’s a reason we put ourselves through all of this, and it’s because we love to do it. That fire I had inside of me as a little three-year-old to toe poke the ball as hard as I could into the goal is still inside of me. The drive is still there. So, if you’re ever feeling burnt out, worn out, or mentally drained, try to look at all soccer HAS given you. I’m sure it’s more than you realize. You are not the same person you were when you started playing, and that is something to have joy about. Soccer is a game that keeps on giving, and it’s our job to make sure we always recognize that.

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