In order to get to the rainbow you must be able to deal with the rain. As an athlete, you must be able to deal with both success and failure. Soccer is a sport that has taught me that nothing is guaranteed, that nothing is impossible and most importantly, that nothing comes easy. When dedicating yourself to a sport you learn that you're not only making a physical commitment but a mental commitment, it takes skill to master a sport, but it also takes heart and desire to motivate yourself through the good and bad times. The challenge of pushing away the voices that simply tell you to give up was one of the most excruciating parts I had to deal with when I was playing soccer but now looking back at these past experiences, I learned that the greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall.
Just one example of this was a soccer tournament I participated in when I was younger. The game was tied and we eventually went into penalty kicks. The round didn't start the way we wanted; we missed two shots and made one. Then, it was my turn. I took the ball in my hands, placed it on the white line and walked back. All I could hear was the deafening cheer of the crowd, my team, and coaches. I closed my eyes and ran up to take my shot, I opened my eyes and realized that I had failed, the ball flew over the net and it was over, the game was over. The other team celebrated; hugging each other to the point where most of them were on the ground, I sank to my knees and hid my face in shame, but this was only the beginning of the chapter of my story.
That incident made me think so low of myself, for a long time I didn't see myself as Leslie Trejo, but a girl who cost her team the trophy. After the loss I tried to get back into soccer, but ended up playing with a team that I had no chemistry with. I lost my self confidence, my ambition to keep training , and ended up being on the bench for most of that spring season.
