Slice of Life: 3-16-15

 I frown as I shut the car door behind me. My dad just dropped me off here at soccer practice with a blue-tooth in his ear, talking way too loud into the small device. I walk towards the set of fields with my cleats scraping across the pavement, and feel the stadium looming behind me. Since I am on the Rapids Academy team or whatever you want to call it, we practice right next to the stadium where the real Rapids play their real games. The stadium seems so big, bigger than anyone could ever become, but stares at you all the way through when you play, daring you to be better, and maybe be good enough to be as big as it (metaphorically). 

    I see some kids out in front of me on my team, heading straight to our designated spot. My cleats stop scraping against the ground as I get to the grass, my footwear are now at home. Wherever there is grass, soccer gear thrives. I look back once again to my dad in the drivers seat of our SUV, who waves me on toward my teammates.

    The pods (as they are called) in the facility, each house six fields, and the field my team practices on is one of the furthest from where we are supposed to park, so we have to walk across all of the fields in the place we are supposed to walk, and start to warm up for practice. If you haven't noticed, this is a planned out system with places you are supposed to be and things you need to do at the right time. If you don't, then the next time you make it better. That is the mentality of the whole Rapids soccer thing. 

    I start to walk (in the correct places) across the fields, watching the different coaches set up their training exorcises. I finally make it to the place we are supposed to put our bags down and relax for a little while.

    Our coach isn't here yet, and I join in on a game of keep-away that the kids who have already arrived started. It is quite fun, especially because the kids that have arrived already are the nice kids on the team, which unfortunately is only about four players. I flick the ball around to different players, avoiding the "monkey in the middle." Soon our coach arrives and we start to get more serious. Practice will begin in few minutes so I start to juggle by myself, always trying to break my record.

    Our coach calls us in, this means practice has begun. I look back at the stadium, as if for guidance, and jog into my coach.