By Gerry Maravilla

I was four-years old and I stood in the center of the soccer field. Adrenaline and excitement pulsed through my veins as I stared at the striker on the other team. It was time for my first real soccer game and I had been waiting for this moment since my mom had first signed me up to play. I wanted to rush the field and score as many goals as possible. I dreamed of becoming an amazing player.

The referee blew the whistle and the striker quickly passed the ball behind him to the center midfielder. The center midfielder launched the ball like an Apollo rocket, only instead of clearing the stratosphere and flying into space, the ball pelted me directly in the center of my diaphragm.

The wind rushed out of lungs and I collapsed onto the field. I couldn’t breath. My teammates ran around me and the game continued as I lied gasping for air and doing all I could to repress tears. This wasn’t quite the idealized beginning to my soccer career that I had envisioned.

I eventually regained my ability to breath and continued to play the rest of the game. I can’t remember if my team ‘The Little Gladiators’ won the game. I can’t even remember the name of my first coach. However, I’ll never forget my first experience with the world’s beautiful game and the immediate impact it left upon me.

I continued to play for AYSO through early high school. I never quite became the goal scoring machine I had dreamed up, in fact, I only scored about four goals my entire time playing in the league. Despite not living up the ideas I dreamed up in my head, I developed a strong passion for the game and found my role as a supporting player. I embraced my position as a left or right wing midfielder.

Violent beginning and all, I still continue to watch and play the game. In many ways, I love it more now than I did then. What was your first soccer experience? Are you the type of player you envisioned yourself to be? Share with me your soccer stories, injuries and first encounters. I’d love to hear them and, hopefully, they’ll make me feel a bit better about mine.

*note from the editor: what’s your earliest soccer memory?  share it with us!