I don't know why I signed up for soccer in the first place.

If I would have known what it all entailed, I wouldn't have done it.  I mean, I am only a kid.  I would like to have some sort of a normal life, but noooo ... Coach Bertram wants to shape us into formidable soccer players; he definitely believes in practicing!

I go to soccer practice three times a week after school; our school has an after-school soccer program.  Here we are supposed to work on our skills that we have learned and put them into practice.  If Coach doesn't like how we do, he will yell and shout at us and make us feel really stupid.

That's not counting the games we play (usually on Saturdays).  We play at least two games on any given Saturday (more if there's a tournament).  We have to travel to the soccer venue and focus on our game, or else we will definitley hear from Coach later about it.  Coach doesn't take too kindly for foolling around; he wants us to be all business.

If we win, it's great.  If not, then not so good.  I have seen several girls drop out of the team because they couldn't handle Coach's screaming tirades. I don't blame them.  If I could, I'd quit too, but then I'd hear it from mom and dad.  They want ume to be the best soccer player I can be.  (Yeah, right.  They want me to do that because they didn't do so well in athletics; they are living their dreams through me.)

I don't know why they don't go after my brother to do sports.  Max has never been the athletic type: he would rather stick his nose into his books and write, write, write!  I guess it's because I've always been good at athletics, especially soccer, so this is why they made me try out. I made the team, and now you know what I am up against.

It's a big pain in my rear!!

Sometimes I wish I had never even had athletic skills! I wish I was a total washout when it comes to sports because I am really beginning to dislike everything about soccer!