Diary of a Striker with Bethany Balcer: Experience, Learning, and Growth

September 10, 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!

I remember my rookie year like it was yesterday. There are many moments from that year that I will never forget. Starting my first game. My first goal. First rivalry game. It was a year to remember. Now I’m in year three of my professional career (crazy!), and I’ve obviously had a lot of growth throughout the last few years, both on the field and off.

It’s great being new to something because you have a lot of freedom. You can make mistakes because that’s what’s expected when you are in a new environment. It’s also challenging because there are a lot of unknowns. You don’t know exactly quite what to expect and being thrown into a high-level environment can be overwhelming. There are both positives and negatives. Since my rookie year is long gone, I’ve been able to settle into being a player with more experience each year. With that can come more pressure at times, but ultimately it is such a blessing…and here’s why.

When you have experience in an area you definitely feel a sense of being well-equipped for what you are doing. Take a sport for example. Soccer is something I have a lot of experience in, professional soccer, not so much. The more and more I play professional soccer, the better suited I am to perform in games. It’s like the whole, “practice makes perfect” mantra. So, essentially, the more you do something, the better you’ll be at it. (Obviously, there are a lot of variables, you have to have the will and drive to get better, and there has to be an intention to your action.) What I like about this saying is that it applies in all areas of life.

Playing professional soccer takes a toll on me mentally. In my rookie year, I didn’t fully understand the extent of that. Now that I’m in year three, I am better able to handle situations because of the experience and knowledge I’ve gained. I know how to respond better and know what my mind tends to do and respond accordingly.

So, my point in posting all of this is two things. One, if you are new to something or stepping foot into a new environment (a new team, playing college soccer, learning a new hobby), give yourself grace the first year of trying it. Find the joy in having the freedom to learn as you go. Mistakes are what make you better, and everyone makes them. Know that you have a long way to go and growth is inevitable. This is a good thing! So, take advantage of all you can in a time like this.

The second reason is, if you do have experience, use it to your advantage. Be a good leader in the areas you know you are good at. Learn your habits and tendencies and better prepare yourself for moments to come, whether that’s on the field or off the field. After many years of doing something, you will have a lifetime of things to unpack and grow from. And the only way to learn is by going through it, and that’s what experience can give us.

The cool thing is regardless of if you’re in year one of something or year twenty, we’re all still learning! But the more and more we learn, the better we can get at achieving our dreams.

Photo by @krytobanana on Instagram