Soccer And The Black Hole

When things go wrong, when you’re injured, when you get suspended and the pressure gets to you, you feel like quitting don’t you?

Injuries, suspensions, fighting with teammates or even the coach are all obstacles that every soccer player has to face. Lets not forget the dreaded slump in form.

The only way to deal with these obstacles is to persevere.

Some of the brightest young players with loads of potential have quit the game. Most players quit when the going gets tough.

What’s that you ask? You know this already. Point taken, now for the news flash.

Every sport in the world needs quitters. Do you believe me? Not all players can become superstars can they?

Soccer has a filter I’m going to refer to as the “black hole”. For the scientists out there I apologize, but for those that don’t know what a black hole is, it’s a region of space that has so much mass concentrated in it there is no way for a nearby object to escape its gravitational pull.

The black hole has a one-way surface called an event horizon into which objects can fall never to be seen again. It is black because it absorbs all the light that hits it and reflects darkness.

So what’s the connection?

The soccer black hole can represent any difficulty a young player may face. Whether its pressure from parents, aggressive coaches or simply not fitting into the team dynamics, the result will always be the same.

The black hole of soccer assumes you’re going to quit. In fact, the big clubs in the world depend on it. Imagine if Real Madrid, Man U and AC Milan had millions of players to choose from. Could they afford it?

The sad truth is this; once a player approaches the black hole they rarely make it out. You don’t believe me. The majority of my friends, some with great potential disappeared into this imaginary black hole never to be seen on the green pastures again. Even I nearly succumb to the abyss that seems to consume up to 90% of all teens playing the game.

If you learn about the obstacles and acknowledge the soccer black hole, than you can beat it.

Don’t be afraid! The black hole will appear when things get difficult and the pressure starts to mount. This is very common when young players hit their teenage years and soccer is no longer fun.

But think about this.

The players that set out to make it through the black hole, the players who invest in the time, energy and effort to overcome all the problems related to the black hole are the players that get the professional contracts and all the endorsements.

These players don’t surrender and instead of being average or scared, they embrace the challenge. They refuse to become a statistic and they fight their way out of the black hole to be greeted by a manager waving a million dollar contract.

Don’t become a part of the soccer community that chooses to give it a shot, only to quit when it’s no longer convenient.

Here comes the twist.

The Black Hole should be the reason you play soccer. You’ve invested time, money and effort to reach this moment. You’ve acquired new skills, built your physical strength and endurance to confront and penetrate this abyss.

But remember this, you cannot survive your way through Soccer’s black hole. The only way to succeed and develop your game is to embrace these obstacles and treat it like the opportunity that it really is.

Many players will quit the game and succumb to this imaginary black hole.

Now that you’re aware of it; I’ll see you on the other side.

“May the winds of destiny blow you to the stars”.