It's Saturday, the stamp-date for this post clearly reads Friday but I'm typing this a day later. I had a game on Thursday. I wasn't able to post anything about it that day; I was exhausted and I just completely forgot. I tried to write something about it yesterday (on Friday). I went as far as creating a post for it, along with a title, but I never got to writing up the content. Now that I finally feel a genuine obligation, I will write for two days, if not three.

On Thursday, we had our first real soccer game. We were against this school. Our game was away, while the Varsity had theirs on the turf at our school. Before taking the 45-minute bus ride to the school where the JV team would be playing at, I played around with Christine's Nikon D40. I was immediately in love. Well, I suppose love is a bit exaggerated. I was awed by the quality of the pictures. I can't say I want a Nikon D40, though I told my friend that I did while I carefully snapped shots of a few stepped on (and completely disgusting) yellow mushrooms. I want the Nikon D90. It's over 1,000 dollars. It's very prestigious and I'm foolish for wanting it in the first place. Oh well.

The ride to to the school wasn't that interesting. I fell asleep and then coach was slightly annoyed when she realized that I hadn't put on my gear during the bus ride.

They scored 2 goals on us within the first 10 minutes. I was out of it the first half of the game. I don't know why I wasn't being as aggressive as I could have been and going in for the ball. I could easily come up with excuses: our team wasn't spreading out, 2 or 3 people from our team would go after for the ball at a time. I couldn't go in and send the ball far outfield as my position requires. I would most likely be interfering and that would only worsen the situation. I found myself sprinting back often because the offense on the opposite team would somehow get the ball past me. I didn't go for the balls as I should have, even when there wasn't anyone on my team near. I just watched as they got closer - and watched as they got passed me.

I want to say the second half was better, I guess it was, but it wasn't really an improvement.

I don't know what the final score was, I just know that we didn't score any goals, and they scored numerous goals on us.

There was no practice on Friday for JV, even though the rain had stopped by the time that I arrived home. Yesterday, I went home early for the first time this year. True, it's only been a few days, but oh Lord, did it feel great! Then I was so bored. I probably should have done school work, instead of complaining about it and telling numerous people that I would do it, when I actually did NOTHING. Sitting at the computer, I was almost wishing that there was practice. It gives me something to do. It gives me something to pass my time. Even though it's torturous sometimes, I really like it.

Today was our second game. I can't remember who it was against, but the turn out wasn't as devastating as the other game. I arrived at the school at 10 AM (earlier than I had expected), then I remembered that I forgot to put in my contacts. We turned around and drove to the house so I could do that. If it were a practice, I wouldn't have cared, but it was a game, so yeah... I needed them. I ended up arriving on time, 10:15.

We were in an evenly matched game. Whatever goals they did score on us, it was just out of pure chance. They were somewhat more impressive when it came to passing, but nothing compared to the other team. That team was BADASS. I made a lot of mistakes during the game, but we all did. I just have a habit for focusing more on my mistakes than what I did good. I kneed the ball towards the goal twice (terrible mistakes, THANK GOD those slip-ups of mine never gave the opposing team a goal). I missed a header. A lot of offensive players got passed me with the ball, so I always found myself chasing after them at a full sprint. I don't know how I managed it, but I was always so winded afterward. Overall, I think I did a good job, though. I passed the ball off the side often, although sometimes it would come back right at me. I despise goal kicks! I have to practice them. They always end up in the center or absolutely no where. I managed to do one header. It wasn't entirely successful, well, I suppose it was. I cleared the ball off to the side, but I could have managed one that stayed up in the air, rather than bouncing down onto the ground before returning to the air. I was aggressive throughout the game. I pressured and often got the opponent to slip-up.

At one point in the game, I was pressuring a girl who caused me a lot of trouble on the other team (I was always going after her, and often she would get the ball by me). This one time while I was up against her, she kicked the ball into my thigh and it fell onto the ground. It fell between my feet, but I wasn't aware of that. So, I turned circles once, maybe twice before realizing the ball was underneath me. I could hear the other team laughing. It was so embarrassing.

In the end, the score was 0 to 2. We were so close!

THURSDAY! I had my first real game. It's a scrimmage, really, but it was the first serious game that I participated in for soccer.

Oh jeez, I was so nervous for it. I had gotten new shin guards recently, and they were bothering me. They were so tight on my calves, and it made doing the warm ups even more difficult. I was almost tempted to complain about it my coach, but then I didn't feel that would be professional.

I was put in as sweeper when the game started. The sweeper is the person who is behind most of the field players. They are the defense who are beyond the other defensive players. It was an easy position to play. I was aggressive and that's what got me a lot of the clears that I made. It was tolling, as any position on the soccer field is. I was feeling tired after the first 10 minutes. I was also having issues with my leg. Not only were my calves bothering me, but my thigh was starting to bother me as well. Later on during the game, I also got the feeling that I was going to throw up, AND I got a headache.

Two or three times during the game, I did this really cool move, where I would intercept two opponents that were passing to each other, the ball would in the air and I would sort of lunge/leap for it and then I'd be in the air while I punted it to a place far out in the field. The ball would also be on the ground traveling while I intercepted it, but once or twice, it was in the air and it was just amazing! I was like... "Whoa, did I just do that?"

I got knocked down once. I nearly got knocked down numerous times. I punted the ball into a girl's face. I nearly knocked down other people numerous times.

It got difficult, after awhile, to do the smart moves. So, I would just pressure someone, so much, until they lost the ball... or until they passed it to someone else... who would score a goal... the latter wasn't as common.

During the last quarter of the game, I asked my coach if I could sit out for awhile. I was feeling alright, but I just wanted a break for awhile.

I talked to the coach for awhile, and another player on my team, someone who is so much worse than me at soccer. It's frustrating, but I feel bad for her.

I went back in as a left-wing defense. I prefer sweeper, surprisingly. I wasn't sure about my positioning as much when I was on a wing, rather than being a sweeper, who has the mobility of being able to cross from left to right, right to left freely.

I wasn't that great when I went back in, but I played my part, probably saved a few goals, whatever.

It was a good game, though... even though we didn't scored one goal and we lost 0 to 7.

Practice today wasn't as bad as I thought it would be... wait, no, what am I saying? It sucked. I was terrible. I couldn't even pass the ball correctly when we split into groups of 4 for a passing exercise.

Then we had to do Campus Runs, while doing Indian Runs. I don't know how I did it, I stopped a lot, but I was able to get through the two full laps. Even after all this conditioning, I'm still out of shape!