So I’ve been off at school for the last week falling in with the new mens soccer team. Last year there was a club, and good times were had by all; but now it’s serious business, a varsity sport. I’ve been exhausted for the most part, we had two intense practices a day for the first few days, then a day more or less off, an intersquad scrimmage, two one practice days, and yesterday a scrimmage against a nearby school1.
There are about 10 kids from last year, and 15 new. It’s a big team. I won’t lie, I was worried about winning a starting spot on the team. Last year the coach had me penciled in as an outside mid, but so many new kids showed up this year that things sort of got jumbled around, and for the first few days of practice it looked like anyone might end up warming the good old bench. But things turned out right, and I got slotted in somewhere, and right now I’m excited to be slipped back into defense.
I’m looking at either centerback (the only position I’ve never really played) or outside back. The scrimmage today consisted of 3 30 minute periods with 10 minute breaks between, I started all three periods, came out with 3 minutes left in the second and 15 left in the third. Didn’t play half bad, and the game got me all excited to play in the back line.
I had enough fun playing club ball last year, but there wasn’t much challenge in it. I’m real pumped with how this year has gone so far (though I’m just a bit more than a week in), it’s really up a level and I’ve been whipped into better shape than usual, which always feels great.