How My Passion Drives Me Through Challenges

My name is Carolina Flores, and I am a goalkeeper playing for SA City’s 07/08 GA team; I am passionate about soccer and the goalkeeper position, and these passions have allowed me to see daily life from a different perspective while understanding the importance of maximizing every opportunity to improve as a player and as a person.

The majority of the challenges I have faced are mental challenges, from thinking about the “what if’s” of injuries to actually experiencing them and their setbacks, or even doubt, fear, and hesitation masking my everyday thoughts and actions in training and in games; however, many of these mental challenges that I have moved in front of have improved my abilities as a player and my mentality when I play.

My passion for this game has kept me looking up and focused on the future I hope to achieve. It keeps me grounded and constantly reminds me to enjoy the process and the work I am doing now to reach my goals.

After an injury I experienced earlier this year, I struggled during the recovery process, often trying to rush back to training and feeling like I wasn’t doing enough, not allowing myself to appreciate the progress I was making. During this time, however, I found that my strong mental drive to train and return to the field reminded me how much I truly love this sport.

The lessons I have learned have driven me to be more consistent, determined, and willing to put in the effort and work necessary to achieve my goals.

I have also learned the importance of trusting the process and focusing on what I am doing for my own goals. It’s hard to remain focused, consistent, and determined when comparing your progress or achievements to anyone else’s, and this advice is something I hope others can apply as well.