A sparked passion

By Calvin Tang

When I was a little kid, my mom often brought me to the park. And let me play soccer with the other kids there. My mom thought that this would just be an easy way to get me out of the house and get some exercise in. Although my memories of those times are a bit fuzzy, they sparked my interest in the sport and helped me discover my passion for it to pursue it further.

Eventually, my mom decided to sign me up for a little league squad when I was around 5-6 years old.I only remember a few games I played in, and I remember having a good time, playing with passion and just having fun.

However, after around one year, my family decided to move to a better house, meaning that I would also move to a different school. With this, I also left the little league team, with it being a short time that I enjoyed. 

After that, I left soccer alone for a while, with my parents and myself wanting to focus more on school for the time being, and it would be a long time until I picked back up again, which was in 9th grade.

My passion for soccer picked up again when the 2022 World Cup started, with me personally rooting for Portugal to win. I watched it with my dad, who also has always enjoyed watching professional soccer when it's on. Watching the world cup was what allowed me to realize why I enjoyed soccer. With the fast pace of the sport and getting to see my favorite players play, it's always an unforgettable experience.

Equally important, I was able to make new, lasting friendships after meeting people who also enjoyed soccer. Allowing me to talk about my interests and passions about watching or playing the sport with other people. 

Now, I still enjoy playing soccer at open fields or public parks that have space with my friends when I have free time, while also supporting my favorite clubs, which are Real Madrid, and Tottenham Hotspur.

Soccer has allowed me to bond and spend time with my family and friends. An example of this is watching the sport with my dad, as we don’t have many hobbies that are in common. So being able to watch soccer together is a joyful experience, and allows us to spend time watching something that we both genuinely enjoy and allows us to talk more than we have before.

I’m considering playing soccer in college if I have enough freetime, but for now, I just plan on playing soccer casually, and enjoying it as a fan.

From the warrior times, this is Calvin Tang.