This past summer we asked our AYSO players to write a story where they encourage their team right before the championship game. Here was the prompt:
Imagine that you’re a player on a soccer team that’s going to face off against another team in a soccer competition. But this isn’t any ordinary match – you and your team are competing for first place for best soccer team in the nation!
Your coach wants you to write and give a speech to encourage and uplift your fellow teammates. What’s the most important thing out on the field today?
We enjoyed reading each and every one of the stories that were submitted to the National Office and we hope our players enjoyed the contest! The winners’ pieces, as well as all other fantastic entries, are published below.
AYSO 2017 Summer Writing Contest Winners:
There has always been a time when you are very excited, but nervous out of your mind at the same time. That happens a lot on the soccer field, especially when a big game is coming up. But, if the most important thing to you is to go out there and win today, you might end up crushed by a loss. However, you shouldn’t allow one little game to affect you so much. It’s hard, very hard. But here’s how you do it.
Instead of focusing all of your attention on winning (which we all know very well might not happen), just go out there, have fun, and play like you want it. This way, even if you lose, at least you can credit yourself for enjoying it, and trying. Then, you can stop feeling sad, and go out and congratulate the other team. If they had lost, of course they would’ve been mad/ sad, but they would have done the same for you. You have to treat others like you want to be treated.
In order to win, however, you need to be very optimistic and proud that you have even made it this far. Most teams haven’t. So even if you don’t win, you are still second best. Also remember that just one game doesn’t really prove that the other team is better than you, just that they won a game. If there were to be a rematch, with the taste of revenge just one win away, trust me, you will be waaaay more motivated to win than at first. So, you will go out there, and fight for it.
So there you go. Go out there today, play, and remember, even if you don’t win, you have to HAVE FUN, be aggressive, and fight for it. One game doesn’t define you. And, if you keep playing soccer, one day, it may be in a 6 months or 6 years, you will meet again. So show that you want it. That you need it. That you really care. Now go out there and win!
By Allie
Age 9, Region 611
Ok guys, bring it in. We’ve made it to the national championship game. What’s the most important thing out on the field today? One, work hard. We’ve practiced hard this entire season and look where it got us, the national championship game! Our opponent should be pretty tough since they made it here as well. But keep up the hard work and play as well as this past season. Two, try your best. If everyone tries their best and gives one hundred percent, we’ll be sure to succeed. Most importantly, have fun. What’s the point if your not having fun? Have fun no matter what the outcome will be. Enjoy the moment. I know we can beat this team. Let’s win this game for the love of soccer. Bring it in, team on three, one…two…three…TEAM!
By Elvin
Age 11, Region 60
Coach asked me to speak today about the championship game. Although he chose me I want you to know that what I am going to say is what we as a team have talked about all season.
At the beginning of the season coach asked us to set individual and team goals. Think back to what each of you wrote on that list. Now ask yourself, did you accomplish any of these goals? If you answered yes then we have already won.
Today is not about winning and losing. Today is about celebrating. Regardless of the outcome of today’s game we are all winners. We are winners because we made it to the championship when nobody expected us to make it this far. We are winners because we accomplished so many individual and team goals this season. We are winners because we believed in ourselves. Finally, we are winners because our coaches and parents helped and encouraged us to reach this game. These are the reasons we will celebrate no matter if we win or lose today.
When we step out onto the field today let’s focus on having fun, trying our hardest and playing to our ability. If we do these things then we have the opportunity to finish first. However, even if we do all these things and don’t win then at least we know we did everything we could to win, and in my book that makes us winners!
Now let’s go out on the field, have fun, put forth a maximum effort and play.
Everybody hands in. 1-2-3, Go Knights!
By Ethan
AYSO 2017 Summer Writing Contest Entries
Guys, this is the finals! We’ve got to win! Just pretend you’re a professional soccer player. What would you do? You’d make an effort to win. And even if we don’t win, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that we try our best! So feel relaxed while you’re playing, and good luck!
By Hayden
Age 9, Region 88
I will tell my teammates that we can do this, we’re going to play our best today but most importantly we are going to enjoy this game and have fun, we already made it this far and I’m so proud to be part of this team and my teammates. No matter what happens, we are a team, we’re proud to be playing on the finals and thank you all for sharing this experience with me. This is a game so let’s have fun and play. Thank you all for everything.
The decisions you make on the field will echo in eternity. Confidence will lead you to victory. Seize this opportunity and make the results a time you will remember whatever your age. If you have fun, then victory is yours!
By Evan
Age 10, Region 92
I ran up to the big green soccer field it was 11:07. I had some time to practice for my soccer game at noon. I started to shoot goals. After the rest of the U.S.A. team had gotten to the field our coach, my dad called us over to talk. We were versing Japan! Everyone was excited but nervous at the same time. And apparently Coach could see it. “Delaney” said Coach, “I know that you are nervous and excited, so I just came up with and idea that might boost your confidence and everyone else’s. I want just you to make a speech about the most important thing that is out on the field,” said coach right when everyone started to walk away and get a drink. I quickly walked to get a drink right after my Coach talked to me. I took six big gulps of the water in my water bottle and started thinking about what I should say. Maybe umm. The most important thing on the field was to have fun. No to play fair. I liked the have fun idea. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Another girl on my soccer team walked up to me and said, “What are you going to say for the speech?” “I don’t know” I answered to Alex Morgan, the girl I was talking too. “I do not know what I would say, either.” she responded and then ran out on the field. I couldn’t decide between having fun or playing fair so I decided to do both. Before the big game I was in the middle of the field saying my speech. “This big game is not about winning, this game is about having fun and leadership. And if I go home either a loser or a winner, I just want to say thank you for coming out here just to have fun.” I put a big smile on my face and then yelled, “Let the game begin!” Everyone got into their positions that Coach had given us. The first half went by fast, we scored twice. The Second half we scored again, but Japan scored too. At halftime our coach said to get big sips of water and the score was 3-1. We were doing good till Japan scored twice in the third half. It all came down to the fourth half. Both teams had great shots but never scored, finally with two minutes left, our team had the ball, Alex Morgan was dribbling the ball until she passed to me. I had three dribbles, and then I kicked it as hard as I ever did before. My heart was pounding. Right off the goalie’s glove and into the goal! I couldn’t believe I had scored! U.S.A. had won! Then we all said good game with surprise in our faces. After everyone got their stuff, we went to Menchie’s.
By Delaney
We’re nervous, right? I know it’s nerve wrecking, but the only thing we have to do is try hard and have fun. Just think of it like playing against a team of 4-year olds. You have to know that they’re soccer players just like us. It’s not about where or when the game is, not even who you’re up against, it’s about how hard you try. We have to do all we can to win. But it doesn’t matter if you win or lose, it’s how you play the game. Just make the best out of this game, and you can even try again next time. If you don’t do well it isn’t the end of the world. People aren’t going to hate you if you lose, so don’t worry about a thing. The most important thing is that we have fun, do our best, give it our all, and work hard. The most important thing is trust in your teammates and good sportsmanship. The most important thing is faith and hope. The most important thing is love, love for your teammates and the love for soccer. So let’s go out there and play some soccer!
By Erica
Coach asked me to speak today about the championship game. Although he chose me I want you to know that what I am going to say is what we as a team have talked about all season.
At the beginning of the season coach asked us to set individual and team goals. Think back to what each of you wrote on that list. Now ask yourself, did you accomplish any of these goals? If you answered yes then we have already won.
Today is not about winning and losing. Today is about celebrating. Regardless of the outcome of today’s game we are all winners. We are winners because we made it to the championship when nobody expected us to make it this far. We are winners because we accomplished so many individual and team goals this season. We are winners because we believed in ourselves. Finally, we are winners because our coaches and parents helped and encouraged us to reach this game. These are the reasons we will celebrate no matter if we win or lose today.
When we step out onto the field today let’s focus on having fun, trying our hardest and playing to our ability. If we do these things then we have the opportunity to finish first. However, even if we do all these things and don’t win then at least we know we did everything we could to win, and in my book that makes us winners!
Now let’s go out on the field, have fun, put forth a maximum effort and play.
Everybody hands in. 1-2-3, Go Knights!
By Ethan, Region 1370
June 2017. The season is about to end except for one more game. The Clovers, from AYSO region 595, vs an unknown team, from California. Every player is on edge because this game is to become the best team in the nation! There is animosity between the teams, because of the stakes, but there is an unseen respect between the two, for their skill. On the Clover’s bench, everyone is anxious. From Brado, the player who’s only played for 2 years, to the experienced players like Niko, who’s played for 6 years. They’re all discussing, some confident, some not. Out of all of the discussion, Jim and Will, the coach and assistant coach came in with a message that would not only put confidence in the players, but prime them to become the best team in the nation. Jim said “today, we play soccer, and while we may be nervous, one of our players, Brado, will help out our team with a speech of Clover’s pride.
Brado, one of the most inexperienced but passionate players rose up to speak. “Team. The Clovers. Whatever you call us we are one of the best teams in the nation. We came together in April not only to become the number one team in America but to become one of the most tight-knit groups in this sport. We are a team. What about those people over there? Do you think that So-Cal So-Called team can beat us? You can say that skill is the important thing on the soccer field, and while that may be up there, and you may say having fun is it too, it’s teamwork. If you put Messi and Ronaldo together and put them against us, they may be more skilled than us, but they’d have the skill, but they couldn’t work together. That team over there may be 6-0, while we’re 4-2, they can’t be more of a team than us. I just think they’re called the maroon team. They don’t have a team name, they don’t have the bond we have. So today I don’t want us to play to have fun or to prove yourself, I want us to play to be a team, and hopefully be the best team in the nation! Everyone, put your hand in.” Everybody including the coaches does. Braden calls out: 1, 2, 3, and everyone yells CLOVERS! After the game, not using skill, but teamwork the Clovers stood tall as the best team in the nation. Why would I know? Because I am Brado himself. So next time you go out on that green and white field, remember, to stay close to your team because you never know, one day you may be great, or even, Number 1.
By Braden
Everyone gets nervous sometimes, but we don’t have to be so nervous that we mess up. We are a great team! If we have fun and try our best, it doesn’t matter if we win or lose. That other team might be taller than us, or faster than us, but as long as we do our best we will have the same chance at winning as they do. So, let’s go out there and play as a team to win this thing!!!
By Hailey
The important things to do on the field are to play your hardest, don’t let them score , play by the rules, respect the other team, communicate with your team mates, and don’t blame the goalie if the ball goes in the goal. It’s not the goalie’s fault, it is the team’s fault because the team let the ball get back to the goalie. Don’t yell at the other players if they did something wrong, they tried hard, and the most important thing to do is to have fun! It doesn’t matter if you win or lose.
By Anneliese
Ok I will admit our team was not what you’d call good. But we weren’t bad either. The worst team was the Pink Shadows. They lost every game. The best team was the Navy’s. They won every game. We were in the middle of the two teams. Our next game was in 3,2,1 NOW! We were playing the Pines. When we finished our game it was 2-1. We won! But when we got to Coach Paul we got a paper instead of a ‘’good job.’’ The paper said ‘’The U-10 USA Cup is taking place this Saturday.’’ So from then on we knew we had to get ready. The week went by superfast. We had practice almost every day after school. When Friday night came everyone was so nervous. On Saturday morning we all meet up at the field early so we could do warm ups. Everyone was so nervous so warm ups did not go well. Coach called us over. He said ‘’Oaky everyone we are playing the Navy’s.’’ ‘’What? They came in first in the nation last year!’’ exclaimed Chloe. Coach Paul said “I want you to give each other a pep talk. Nana, you go first”. “I really think we should just got out there and have fun. We have come so far as a team and we can’t blow it now”, said Nana. Then I said, “after all, there is no “I” in team. So let’s put our hand in the circle one last time the season. Ready? 1-2-3 GO RED FIRE DRAGONS!” The first half of the game passed, and we were up 1-0. When the second half was coming to end, we were still up. And guess what? WE WON! 2-1! The Red Fire Dragons won the 2017 U-10 USA Cup!
By Savannah, Region 54
I know that our next game will be a tough one, and most speeches start out with “DON’T BE NERVOUS, bla, bla, bla.” But sometimes, you can’t help being nervous during these situations. I’m not forcing you not to be nervous, I’m trying to make you feel more confident. That’s one thing that can and will help you in the game. One REALLY big thing that will help you in the field is TEAMWORK. If used in a game, it will make our team unstoppable. If forwards work together, they will get past the defenders and score. If the defenders work together, they will stop the opposing team from scoring. And if the mids work with BOTH, our team will be AWESOME! It doesn’t matter whether we win or lose! (I know many people say that but it’s true). It’s not like a giant meteor is going to come crashing down on our team or a zombie apocalypse is going to hunt us down. And last but not least, we have our coach to support us. I have faith and hope we will win! (If we use teamwork)!
By Samantha
Are we ready to win, well I hope we are! We’re a team, we can pass the ball and get as many goals as possible. Just pretend the other team is not there. But the goalie needs to pretend we are not there and just think of the other team but no one talk to your teammates just be good. Also, if you like talking to people then pretend we are not friends, that is what my team says so that can help you to not go up to each other. Another thing my coach says is she splits the field in the middle and she will tell us left or right mid or left or right defense or left or right forward and the goalie gets left and right the goalie is lucky. But the most important thing is to have fun and score lots of goals.
By Tanya
“Are you ready for championship game tomorrow?” asked Coach Jamie on our extra practice before the championship game against the Crusher Girls. “Well, I`m super exited, but really nervous.” said Jenny. Everyone else on the team nodded, all except me. “If we lose we lose, but I`m pretty confident that that`s not going to happen. We only lost one game this season!” I said. But from the looks on my teammates faces, I could tell they didn`t believe me. At the end of practice, Coach Jamie pulled me aside and asked, “Would you like to help me encourage the team, Ashley?” Without even thinking twice, I nodded. “Ok. Can you write a speech to encourage your team?” she asked. “Yes! I love writing!” I exclaimed. “Thanks Ashley!” she said smiling happily. When I got home and sat down at my desk I knew exactly what to write.
At the game, Coach Jamie announced, “Ashley has something to say- a word of encouragement.” With a big smile on my face I stood up, holding a small notebook. “I know that we all want to win the game, and that we`ll be really disappointed if we don`t win. But the point of the game is to have fun. For a while, we all forgot that. But when we have fun and work as a team we`re unbeatable-I can`t do this alone. You can`t do this alone. So why don`t we win as a team? We`re all winners no matter how we play. So, even if we lose [which we probably won`t we`ll still be in second place, which is just as great. We can do it, Soccer Stars!” As I finished, my teammates didn`t just applaud. They started to encourage each other! Just then the referee, Mr. Matt, called us over. Whispering kindly to one another, we headed over to meet the Crusher Girls.
They were tough looking, strong, and fierce. Even I was nervous! Suddenly, the whistle blew and the game was on! The next 20 minutes were a blur. Everyone was doing such a great job that by the last 5 minutes, the score was 10-12. We were winning! By the end of the game, the score was 14-12 and Coach Jamie was doing backflips. We were the #1 team in the nation! Before we left for a party, we walked over to the other team and gave out Soccer Star key chains and congratulated them for a great game. As we headed out for ice cream, I couldn`t help thinking that it was a perfect day with a perfect ending.
By Ashley
Girls, I know that this is a very important match. We have done a great job so far. We have made it all the way to the finals. I want us to win, and I’m sure everyone else wants us to win as well. Remember that we must show respect to the officials, the other team and the coaches. Showing respect to others shows that we have good sportsmanship. Showing good sportsmanship also requires playing fair, having a good attitude and being a good influence on those around us. I’ve seen us play, and we are really good. We have skills, speed and accuracy. Yet, just because we have all these things doesn’t mean we are going to win. Each and every one of us should play our very hardest. Go out there, be safe, have fun and give it all you have got. Let’s play!!!!
By Sarah
It’s the big day. The day when we all want to win. We want to see that trophy. We want those gold medals. But do you know what I want the most? I want each and every one of us to have fun.
Having fun is something you might have heard when you were four years old. But it still remains the most important part. Why play soccer if you don’t have fun? Why do you do something if you don’t even like it?
Playing hard is one thing, but having fun is more important. If you only focus on just playing, the game isn’t fun anymore. So when you play, just have fun. Cherish this moment when we have people from all over the nation watching us. I know you guys are nervous, and I am too. Just remember that we started soccer because it’s fun!
We have gone through so many challenges and mistakes. That is what brought us here. Fighting through, persevering, brought us today in this locker room, ready to fight and play soccer the way we play it. Don’t think we’ve got any mistakes or challenges that have helped us? Here are some examples.
Sydney, you broke a body part twice in one season.
Quin, you had to squeeze time in between your tennis matches.
Sophia, your heel bothered you.
Janna, you had to play against people twice the size of you.
Sammy, you were constantly knocked down by other players.
Natalia, you had to find time for soccer even through gymnastics.
Megan, you had to play goalie even when you didn’t want to.
Gaby, you were placed in positions that were uncomfortable to you.
Demi, you may have felt shadowed by your sister.
Jordan, you might have felt pressure at times when you played center defender.
These challenges, these struggles would have been easy to give in to. But guess what? None of us backed down.
Sydney, you came to all the practices and games even with your cast.
Quin, you still played in between your tennis matches.
Sophia, you kept running to the goal.
Janna, you showed those big girls how you play.
Sammy, you got back up.
Natalia, you played with your hair in a bun.
Megan, you played goalie anyway.
Gaby, you played with confidence.
Demi, you practiced.
Jordan, you played the best a center defender could possibly play.
All of us fought through, and got better.
This is our chance, today, to show the world how great we can play. We’ve gone through lots of mistakes, now we improve them. We show the audience that we are truly worthy of receiving that #1 title. We play our best–and we have fun.
We are here, because we love soccer. Love it so much we probably couldn’t live without it. Love it with every cell, every muscle, every hair, and every bone that is on our body. So play with that feeling. Play united. And most importantly, have fun.
By Katie
Teamwork is essential in a successful soccer tournament. Blocking is important because the ball should be protected. You should be able to get across the field with the ball if your teammates are blocking the other team. Passing is another technique in soccer. When passing make sure to kick in the inside of your foot because if you don’t, the ball will not go to the person you want it to go to. Finally, planning is another way to win the game. Always have a team plan before the match because it might come in handy. There are many ways to successfully win a soccer competition, these are just a few.
By Whitney
OK team today we are playing the Kicking Kangaroos. We are trying to get first place in the nation. We can’t expect them to be easy. Everybody has to remember: to beat them to the ball every time, hustle, pass, play as a team, use skills that coach has taught us, and most of all have fun! Everybody has to play their hardest so we have a chance of winning. If we go to penalty kicks, try to fake out the goalie. Always remember to be a good sport even if the other team upsets you. If you make a mistake it’s ok you’re still part of the team. Everybody makes mistakes. Now are you ready to play the hardest game of soccer you may ever play?!
By Sophie
