The DANA Cup, Sorry for another soccer story!

It was the finals of the Danish Soccer tournament, The Dana Cup. A penalty shootout was to decide the verdict. We were trailing by a goal.  My coach called me and said, “This is all you have been trained for.”  I was nervous, but I told myself, “its now or never.”  I got myself together, looked at my teammates who had their hopes pinned on me, and took the shot. I failed to score. We lost the title. My world fell apart.

This was one of the most important experiences of my life. I faced failure, criticism. Failure helped me grow. I worked harder. My father played a very important role in this, thanks to his passion for soccer. He explained to me on how it was important for me to take a lesson from my mistakes and perform better in the coming games.

He helped me train. Being a typical kid, I wasn't too fond of doing my push-ups or sit-ups - I just wanted to play. We had a soccer goalpost in the backyard of our house. When he came home after work, we used to head towards the goalpost to train. He used to set a specific target for me to kick the ball in the goal and wouldn’t let me move on to the next hurdle unless I achieved that target. He amplified my knowledge on the technicality of the game. The advice, support, and love my dad provided me with all through my life are the ultimate reasons of where I am today.

Playing soccer locally, nationally and internationally has taught me how important it is for everyone to do their bit when working as a team.

It taught me how strategic planning is beneficial and that the game is not just about dribbling, passing and shooting, it goes much further.