Soccer:

Improvement in Life

2/12/2012

When people play sports, they move their body, interact with people around them, think about
what they have to do, and express their feelings. So many things are going on in a short amount
of time. Soccer, in particular, can improve peoples lives through its emotional, physical, and
social aspects. It lets people express their feelings, enhances bodily features, and improves the
players relationships with other members of the community. Research has been done multiple
times about the psychological benefit from playing sports. While there are setbacks from sports,
the majority of time, the acquired skills and attributes are more beneficial than the risks for the
players.
There are various expressions that will come up in a soccer match such as that of sadness,
happiness, or even anger that are important to the players emotional being. In his book Focused
for Soccer, Beswick talks about how in a single game, players can feel happiness, sadness, fear,
anger, surprise, excitement, guild, and so onan emotional roller-caster ride! (62). These
feelings can happen because the situation in a soccer match can turn around abruptly. Take for
example the UEFA Champion League final match in 1999, Manchester United versus Bayern
Munich. Munich was leading by one goal until the ninetieth minute, some players had already
starting the celebration, but Manchester United scored two goals in the last three minutes of the
match and came out as the winner (Beswick 81). Furthermore, changes in the nature of soccer
have also defined the increasing importance of self-control (Beswick 62). If people regularly
play soccer, they can acquire this valuable skill which applicable to life outside the fields. These
things are also helpful to emotional development and eventually can improve their lives.
Sadness comes from when people experience defeat. I once felt extremely disappointed
because I lost a match in a competition in my neighborhood. Even though it was a small scale
tournament, my friends and I practiced hard for a long time. We had been playing every day in
order to take the trophy back from our nemesis from neighboring team. We tried so hard until the

final whistle, but we could not change the score. We shook hand with the opponent team and left
quickly so we could let our tears and emotion go. It was a devastating lost for our team, but we
did not want to feel the sadness again. We practiced even harder and won the next tournament.
We became better because of the feeling created from playing soccer. Another value that I
learned is the importance of practice to further my soccer ability. Furthermore, wining a match
can also provide happiness. Even shy people still smile and celebrate with their teammates. I
consider myself as shy and introverted person. However, in the field, I could grin and laugh
without any restriction. This behavior eventually spread to my school life. Whereas before I did
not have any friend, I became more expressive and was able to make new friends.
Practicing and playing can bring out happiness and joy. The study conducted by Garcia-Mas,
Palou, et al, shows that there is a lot of enjoyment which appears to be felt by our participants,
despite the burden of the training and competition, and the emotions associated with the
motivation (613). When I was in my school soccer club, I practiced so hard that even breathing
became difficult. However, the reward that came from the practice always exceeds the required
hard work. Soccer can bring the reward of satisfaction to those who practice and play soccer with
all their effort. Another important value in playing sport is to have fun. LeUnes and Nation
quoted the study by Sapp and Haubenstricker, which states, the most common reason for
participation in their sample was to have fun (358). Having fun is important, especially for
amateur, because it is what keeps them practicing hard. When people take pleasure in what they
do, which is soccer in this case, it can improve their lives.
Another emotion that people exhibit is anger. Some people cannot express their anger for
various reasons. The problem arises when they cannot hold their anger anymore and let it
explode. Peter Cataldi says that it is virtually axiomatic in our culture that vigorous activity
allows people to let off steam (193). I, for example, did not easily get angered because I

always tried to contain my feelings. However, once I could not hold it anymore, I became so
angry that my friends kept their distance from me. By playing soccer in my neighborhood, I can
channel my anger out so I do not bottle my feelings up. Gradually, I became more expressive and
approached them once again. Although we rarely communicated for the first few weeks, my
stable emotion convinced them that I had became a better person than before. Superaggression
in the realm of professional sports serves some adaptive and possibly useful purpose.
However, such behavior is clearly not harmonious with the philosophical approach to sports
shared by the great majority of physical educators (Cataldi 202). It is not recommended to let
out anger in the field although my experience demonstrates that unconsciously, the body
movement can release the tension and stress in peoples mind. Soccer can truly improve peoples
lives.
Not only soccer can help in individuals emotional development, but also through the benefits
that it gives to the body; physically it gives people a boost for their health. In Sports Psychology,
LeUnes quoted Sapp and Haubenstricker work: Fifty-six percent of the respondents saw
fitness benefits as an important aspect of sport participation (360). When I played soccer
regularly in my neighborhood, I felt that I fell sick less frequently than when I did not play. At
first I did not realize what was going on with my body when I stopped playing soccer. My weight
increased and my reflexes became slower. In school, I joined the soccer club during my high
school and I noticed that I became a better person with healthy body. One study demonstrates
that several physical benefits associated with physical fitness. They include increased blood
flow to the heart, lowered blood pressure, increased lung capacity and lower blood lactate
levels (LeUnes, Nation 416). Various health benefits that come from playing sports is priceless
and can be earned with just hard work and practice. Sports activity is valuable to peoples lives
for now and the future.

Another physical benefit from soccer is that it gives people the dexterity for other sports. I
was interested in playing volleyball and decided to join the club. In the screening test, I could
serve the ball to make it to the opponent box and make a proper toss. Even in the training
session, I improved faster than regular people who did not play soccer or any other sports. While
soccer can be my hobby, it can also become the stepping stone to become good at other physical
activities. This can happen because soccer players have to have good reflexes in order to receive
passes. They also need eye coordination to pinpoint the pass and the shoot. Good judgment is
also necessary to make decision when the team is defending and attacking. The most important
factor, however, is stamina. Without stamina, players cannot run around the huge soccer field. It
is the most valuable thing to have in order to play well in other sports. Stamina gained from
playing soccer can also be useful for other things in life. I noticed that when I play regularly, I
could stay awake longer when I am studying. Cratty in her book indicates that it is sometimes
found that high school athletes obtain better grades (8). The awareness of the surrounding gives
me better control of my mind and body so I can concentrate for reading for a long time,
homework, and long arduous tests. The endurance can be used not only for school, but also for
working. I can also walk long distance without feeling tired, thus making me even healthier. The
physical benefits from playing soccer can really improve the lives of those who play soccer
regularly.
The other benefits from soccer are demonstrated through its impact on the social life of the
players. In soccer, there will always competition because winning is the end goal of every team.
In order to achieve it, every member of the team has to give his best because all positions
whether it is striker, midfielder, defender, or goalkeeperare vital to the team. Communication
becomes crucial in the team. Players have to pay attention to each others habits in how they
control or pass the ball. They have to make observation on how they can work with others in the

team. All of these aspects can lead to understanding each other even outside the field. Bill
Beswick thinks, the science and art of building teams and team cohesion are the key challenge
of soccer (168). There are three important points: agree to work together, encourage each
other, and accept responsibility for our role (168). Receiving and giving passes are examples
of working together for if one person makes a mistake, no connection will form. Beswick
concludes: When players accept this and engage in a team process, they release their talent and
power in a way they could not individually (168). No matter how great is the individual skill of
each player, a champion team will not be made without passes and combined efforts. Teamwork
is important to the team and the individual players so they can form a better team.
People can also make friends through soccer. Partridges research demonstrates that the
participants had favorable social relationships through their sport experiences. The quality of
the friendships that they had established in sport was quite high (114). Although now I do not
live in the same country as my teammates, we still communicate with each other and discuss
about soccer and other things in life. Friendships built on the fields are hard to forget. For
example, I noticed how one of my friends would get angry easily when he plays, and I made a
conclusion that he is an emotional person. I applied this when I talked to him and by not making
an offensive joke. I could easily make jokes about any topics without offending my other
teammates who always laugh in the field. Each member of the team comes to appreciate the
others characteristics and are able to connect with them outside the field. This connection
between each team member is truly beautiful and can last for a long time. Soccer can further
friendships beyond the normal daily interactions.
Another social aspect of playing soccer is friendship. Because a team wants to win, its players
have to be able to balance out offense and defense. A soccer field is huge and players have to
depend on each other to cover their particular area. If only one member cannot be trusted, the

team would fail to achieve its goal and lose. Each time the ball is passed, there is hope within.
New players who have not form bonds with their teammates have to do so, or else they would
not be able to coordinate their movement with the rest of the team. When I just started playing
soccer with the people in my neighborhood, I could not guess what kind of passes I had to
receive or give accurately. Over time, it became a second nature to me because I then believed in
them. As a result, I was able to communicate better and form friendships with my team. LeUnes
and Nation mentions about the social dimension of making friends, and this is a consistent
finding across virtually all of the studies (360). It is an important reason that people, especially
the youth, to play soccer so they can communicate with their peers. Although it took me a while
to fully accept the people in my team, I became their friends and spent time outside the fields
hanging out and having conversation. The game on the field that emphasizes teamwork makes
me interact with the others. The social skill that I gained from my time playing soccer is
invaluable to my current role as a college student in the society. Soccer improves the lives of
many through its capacity to form friendship.
Soccer can offer a lot of things to people who want to play it seriously or just as a hobby. The
benefits from engaging in it are useful for their emotional, physical, and social ability in their
surroundings. Different individuals will experience different outcome, but in the end they will
benefit from it. They also must not give up because the effects would not be instant. Whether
they are amateurs or professional, soccer makes the lives of people who want to play it become
better.

Works Cited
Beswick, Bill. Focused for Soccer: How to Win the Mental Game. Champaign, IL: Human
Kinetics, 2010. Print.
Cataldi, Peter Jr.. Sports and Aggression: A Safety Valve or A Pressure Cooker?. Ed. Straub,
William F. Sport Psychology: An Analysis of Athlete Behavior. Ithaca, N.Y: Mouvement
Publications, 1978. Print.
Cratty, Bryant J. Children and Youth in Competitive Sport: Guidelines for Teachers and Parents.
Freeport, N.Y: Educational Activities, 1974. Print.
Garcia Mas, Alexandre, et al. Commitment, Enjoyment and Motivation in Young Soccer
Competitive Players. The Spanish Journal of Psychology 13.2 (2010): 609-616. 5
February 2012 < http://dialnet.unirioja.es>
LeUnes, Arnold D, and Jack R. Nation. Sport Psychology: An Introduction. Chicago: Nelson
Hall, 1989. Print.
Partridge, Julie Ann. Effects of peer influence on psychosocial outcomes in the sport context.
Diss. University of Northern Colorado, 2003. Dissertations & Theses: Full Text,
ProQuest. Web. 6 Feb. 2012.