Diary of a Striker with Bethany Balcer: A New Season

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!

This upcoming weekend, the NWSL regular season officially starts. While that brings a lot of joy and excitement, it also brings nerves and anxiety. I don’t know what this season will hold. There are unknowns that crowd my mind and bring worry into my every day. These thoughts rob me of enjoying the next seven months I have to play a game I love. I most definitely want to enjoy every minute of it, so how do I do that despite not knowing what will come?

I’ve always lived by the phrase “control the things you can control.” It’s what gets me through every trial in my life. It reminds me that I have power and control over certain parts of my life and that I’m not succumbed to life just happening to me. Two of the biggest things I have control over even in the midst of complete unknowns are my work rate and my attitude.

Whether I start a game, come off the bench, or don’t make a roster, my work rate should never change. Every time I step out onto the field I have to treat it like it’s my last and leave everything on the pitch. Not only does this make me a better player, but it also makes my teammates better. When everyone has an attitude like that, a team is successful both on and off the field, and that’s a team I want to be a part of.

The second thing I can control is my attitude. I can choose to be upset about not starting, or I can be the best teammate and encourage the player who is starting ahead of me and want nothing but success for her. I can choose to give up after I make a bad pass, or I can work to win it back for my team. It’s much easier to sit in our frustration and sadness, but the only way we grow is to find joy and gratitude in all we do. I know I am incredibly grateful to play this game at such a high level, and I want to make sure my attitude reflects that. This means being a positive, thankful player.

The truth is, we all go through new seasons, whether that’s soccer, a new job, a new school, a new team, etc. It can be daunting to enter into those new scenarios, but don’t let the unknowns get in the way of you making the most of your experience. If you can embrace the fact that you don’t know all that’s going to happen and take each day as it comes, you will grow as a person and learn to be grateful in all circumstances.

Remember that you’re not alone in your emotions, and you always have the choice to be a positive light on your team. There is so much joy soccer brings me, and I can never lose that love and passion for the game, regardless of what comes my way.

Featured Image via Bryan Byerly/ISI Photos/Getty Images