Good Life Award - Winners
2008
Good Life Award Writing Contest
Honorable Mention
Max Quellhorst
9th Grade, Centerville High School
| Soccer has been a very important part of my life. I have been playing it all my life; working on foot skills, shooting at a goal, or juggling a soccer ball down the street. But it has not only taught me the tactical and technical side to the game, but certain ideas have been instilled in me over the years. Ideas that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I believe that the best way I can use these values I have learned is by passing them onto other kids, and to show them how such a small game of kicking a soccer ball can teach you. So, my goal would be to set up a soccer camp for young kids that are just learning how to play the game. It would be free to anyone that would want to participate, and I would just show these young kids the basic skills of the game. I remember the first time I played soccer, just playing and having fun, and how much I enjoyed it. Those are the kind of moments I hope to put into the minds of young kids. But I wouldn’t just focus on the skills in soccer. I would try to express to them the values you get out of playing soccer: Hard work, respect for each other, and the ability to accept defeat. Soccer these days has become too competitive and focused on winning and losing, and sometimes you can forget these values. At my camp, I would teach these young kids about these values, and hopefully change some wrong ideas or perspectives they might already have. Every game at my camp would have a purpose; it would demonstrate a skill in soccer, as well as an idea or value. Such a game might be a 2 on 2 competition, where the kids have to work together if they want to score and win. I can’t run a camp alone, so I would need people to help me. These people would be my coaches and teammates that I have had over the years; they were the ones when I was young who showed me how to play the game, and I am sure they would be more than willing to help show the game to a whole new group of kids. Teaching these kids is not going to be easy, and it will take a lot of patience and time. But I am sure that by the time they are done with my camp, the values and skills I have taught them will stay with them. I know that soccer has changed my life, and I hope that young kids - if they are given the opportunity to play - can see how amazing it really is. So with hard work and help from a few friends, I can show kids that soccer is more than just kicking a soccer ball around. |