My Most Important Game- by Chelsea Peterson
My Most Meaningful Game
You would think that my most important game was winning a National championship in 2019. That happens to be my second most important game. My most meaningful game, or the game that has had the biggest impact on my life was played a year earlier. It was a loss. Not just a loss, but it was a gut wrenching, borderline depressed kind of loss.
It was regionals in 2018 and we had a 2-0 lead in the 85th minute of the semifinals. We had won regional in 2017 and were fully expecting on doing it again in 2018. There was 5 mins left in the game and it was going to be a cake walk out of there. I was already getting ready for the finals during the game. One thing led to another, a few big mistakes made and we lost the game 3-2 in overtime. I was absolutely heartbroken. We lost as a team, but I made mistakes that changed the course of the game. I didn’t do my part to win. I let my team down. I knew it and my team knew it.
I was really really bummed for about 2 weeks. Then, I made a decision. I was not going to let this game define me or our team. Once November came, our team was completely different. We committed to leaving it all out on the field for our last year. We had 9 months left as a group and we were not going to throw those precious months away.
After making that decision, we went on a streak. We lost one game in 12 months and won the National Championship. The heartbreak of the previous year made winning it all just that much sweeter.
This experience not only shaped me into the goalkeeper I am, but into the individual I am. The ability to bounce back as an individual and as an entire team not only led
to success, but to being the best team in the nation. Mistakes happen on the field and in life but it’s your decision how you will react. Don’t allow the mistakes of the past to determine your present or future!!
Much love keepers!!
