I have a special spot for England in my heart because among other things, England is also considered the birthplace of soccer. When I think about it, I realize the world would have been quite a boring place without a sport like soccer. Soccer has such a great place in my life as a hobby that I attribute many of the important life lessons to it.
Even though soccer is usually considered a hobby, I almost treated it as a daily ritual. I would play soccer with my friends almost every day. In fact, I have met some of my best friends through soccer. I and my friends were quite competitive when playing but we also learnt many valuable skills such as leadership, teamwork, and quick-thinking from soccer.
When I first started playing soccer, my skills were average. I still remember being impressed with the technical skills of other soccer players. But instead of being disheartened, I started working harder to improve my skills and I eventually became part of AlJahra FC in Kuwait. It was a proof hard work does pay off. But a serious injury forced me to leave playing soccer for a while and it was quite stressful. I didn’t give up and not only returned to the game but also won my trophies with the club. Thanks to soccer, I have strong work ethics and a strong mentality and it has helped me get settled in the U.S. as well.
Soccer is so popular on a global basis that its best players are global names, even in countries with weak soccer culture. One of such soccer stars is my favorite play Ronaldo who also happens to play for my favorite soccer club Real Madrid. I admire Ronaldo not only for his soccer skills but also his life story. He came from a poor family background in Portugal to become one of the best soccer players in the world . Ronaldo’s life also confirms my own personal observations that hard work does pay off. I am fortunate I have had the opportunity to watch Ronaldo playing live in a Real Madrid match in Spain. The energy of the crowd in the stadium reminded me I am not alone in my passion for soccer.
My observations about the global nature of soccer have also been confirmed through my experiences in the U.S. Americans are usually the best in sports like baseball, basketball, and American football. Even though U.S. men soccer team has improved a lot, it still lags behind many other teams. But the passion for soccer among ordinary Americans is not less than people of other countries. Playing soccer in the U.S. is also more fun because the people I play with come from a large number of countries. Playing with them reminds me soccer has huge power to unite the people of the world.
I will recommend everyone to have a healthy hobby like soccer because it keeps you away from trouble. I give credit to soccer for staying away from risky activities such as street racing and use of drugs. Hobbies like soccer also help us stay in optimal health. Our body is given to us only once and we should take good care of it. We take so much care of new cars and homes that can be easily replaced yet we can be careless about our bodies and health that cannot be replaced. Healthy hobbies like soccer are also effective stress management techniques, thus, I advise everyone to adopt good hobbies because they yield several benefits.
- Biography. Cristiano Ronaldo. 20 September 2015
