Diary of a Striker with Bethany Balcer: Responding to Adversity

July 30, 2021
By Bethany Balcer

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!

It’s easy to think that whatever obstacle or struggle you face is the end of the world. I’m one to really feel the emotions I’m having, so when I have a bad day, it’s a really bad day. Whether it’s from a practice where I underperformed, a game where I lacked confidence, or something unrelated to soccer, I can get really down on myself when things don’t go my way.

When you’re scoring lots of goals or blocking lots of shots, it’s easy to be happy and trust that what you’re doing is right. But right when something doesn’t go according to how you want, you can fall into a place where it feels lonely, sad, and frustrating. The question is not when that will happen, because it will happen to all of us. The question is, “how are you going to respond?”

A famous quote says life is 10% what happens and 90% how you react to it. I really believe this to be true! As someone who loves control, this is an area where I can have total control: my attitude and response to hard situations.

I think in today’s day and age, too many young people are giving up on dreams, talents, and opportunities because “it’s too hard.” We face the smallest amount of pushback and crumble because now we have to work even harder to achieve what we want.

Well, let me tell you something, you are capable of achieving your dreams no matter what obstacle or circumstance comes your way! It’s not the obstacle that is holding you back; it’s YOU. You are completely in charge of your response to tough times. And I think people don’t realize how strong they actually are. And we will never know our capacity to grow and flourish if we give up every time something gets slightly more difficult.

It is my hope that no one gives up on their dreams because they think it’s too hard. I can assure you the reward when you do make it and accomplish what you set your mind to is the greatest feeling in the world. To achieve something despite all odds being against you shows grit, determination, and belief. Those are all things I want to be defined by. I don’t want to be known as someone who quit when things got hard. I want to be someone who pushes through it all, no matter how challenging, and comes out the other side not only closer to my dreams but a better person as well.

Don’t let one bad game or one hard moment get you down. You can do hard things. Encourage yourself daily and be reminded that everyone who’s gotten anywhere in life has had to go through adversity. You can do it!!