I never imagined myself here.
Growing up, soccer was everything.
It was my world, and I planned to keep playing through high school.
But then, as a freshman, everything changed.
Just two days before the season’s first football game, my neighbor—who happened to be one of the football coaches—called me.
For years, he’d been hinting that I should try kicking for the football team, always saying he saw potential in my leg.
But soccer was my life; football wasn’t even on my radar.
This time, though, it was different.
Both of their kickers were injured, and they urgently needed someone to step up.
I remember that day so clearly — the rush, the anticipation.
It’s like it was yesterday — the smell of the field, the crunch of cleats on grass, the hum of the crowd. I felt a surge of excitement mixed with nerves like I was standing at the edge of something I couldn’t quite see yet.
As a freshman with zero football experience, I was suddenly in the lineup for one of the biggest games of the season.
The stakes were high, all eyes on me.
And from that moment on, everything shifted.
I fell in love with football.
Training and Preparation
After that first season, I faced a tough choice.
To take football seriously, I’d have to dedicate myself fully in the fall, which meant leaving soccer behind.
It was hard to let go of something I loved, but this new passion was igniting something inside me.
Football had a hold on me, and I knew I had to see how far I could take it.
So, I poured myself into it.
Every day in the off-season, I was in the weight room, analyzing my form, recording my kicks, and breaking down every detail.
I wanted every kick to count, especially in those critical moments when everything was on the line.
One of my favorite memories is from last year, when we needed a win to keep our playoff hopes alive.
The pressure was intense; every point mattered.
Late in the game, it all came down to a 40-yard field goal.
As I took my position, I tuned everything out — the noise, the stakes.
I drew on everything I’d learned and trusted my training.
When the ball sailed through the uprights, I felt pure joy, relief, and gratitude.
Moments like that are why I keep going.