For as long as I can remember, I have had a ball at my feet. Growing up and being in love with the game of soccer is a wild journey. From all the late night drives from games and practices and out of town tournaments, you experience a lot along the way, ultimately shaping me into who I am today.

I have to give credit to where credit is due; my dad is the biggest influence for why I play soccer. Ever since I was a little kid, I was surrounded with soccer, whether it was from my dad or anyone else in my family. My family breathes soccer. We don’t do much else in life but play soccer.

With the end of my senior season coming soon and looking back on all the time I have spent on the varsity soccer team throughout the past four years, I know it has been one for the books. Over the past three years, we have been to the district championship game every year and have won the past two. While playing on four different teams with four different sets of guys, I have bonded with friends that will last a lifetime.

Looking back on this senior season as it is coming to a close, I realize it did not go the exact way I would have liked, but all I can do is hope for the best and to try to end the season on a high note with yet another district championship.

After the season is over, I will continue on with my passion for the game and play club ball in the spring and eventually play college ball next fall at Jefferson College. After that, I’m not sure how I would keep up with the game, but maybe I’ll become a coach for a team and share my wisdom with the young kids of the game.

The soccer team will begin district play at 6:30 pm on Tuesday against the Festus Tigers at Hillsboro. The winner of that game will advance to the district championship on November 7 to face the winner of the Hillsboro/DeSoto game.