Hey guys! My name is Lauren and I’m really excited to be in Digital Storytelling this semester with my friends Grace and Enisa!

I’ve always loved playing sports! Ever since I was 6 years old, I’ve been playing soccer. I’ve loved growing up playing sports because there was always something new to try and new adventures to be had. I became close friends with the girls on the soccer teams I played on and I’ll always have these good memories that I carry with me throughout the rest of my life. Last year, in my first year of collegiate soccer, our goalkeeper typed a quote onto a piece of paper and passed it around to everyone on small pieces of paper and we all sat and read them silently before our playoff game. Here’s the quote:

“Do you remember why you play or has it been too long? Do you play because you have worked so hard to get where you are, or because you love to be part of a team? Is it because you love the roar of the crowd or the anxiety before the game? Is it because you don’t want to let anyone down, or yourself? Do you play because you love the sound of a perfect shot or because you would rather be on the field than anywhere else in the world? Somewhere behind the athlete you have become, the hours of practice, the coaches who pushed you, the teammates who believed in you, and the fans who cheered for you, is the little girl who shot a ball, the one who fell in love with the game, and never looked back. Love the game for her.”

That is the essence of who I am. Every time I read that quote, the first few words bring tears to my eyes and as I continue on, they don’t stop. I can’t explain what this means to me but it’s everything that I am and everything that I will ever be.