The best days of my life were largely from 10-18. I am not saying I peaked at that age, or that life was easy (far from it in fact). However, the one thing I did almost every single day in that time frame was play soccer and it was fun. I was a part of a consistent group who played indoor and 3v3 together every single year. I was also fortunate enough to play club and/or high school soccer with some of them as well! The group I played with almost every single day were like-minded to me. We all wanted to become the best players we could be, we wanted to play with and against the best players we could find, and we wanted it all to be enjoyable. Growth and fun was the name of the game for those 8 years.
This beloved group was coed, comprising of some wonderful boys and girls who lived for soccer. We would often have large sleepovers and quite literally play soccer from 5:30 a.m. until 3 a.m. somedays. Now we were fortunate that one of the moms was managing the indoor facility and allowing us access to the fields prior to the opening hours and following the closing hours/midnight soccer routine. But I am not exaggerating when I say we spent weeks straight in the indoor center playing almost every hour of the day.
When we could not be at indoor or playing outside, we would often be found watching soccer or playing video games together. All of these moments and memories are dear to me, and every person from this timeframe has a special place in my heart. There is one person who I have maintained a decent friendship with from my old soccer family, and that is Christina aka Crissy aka Crispy aka Dragon. I think I could go on with 100 dumb nicknames we made throughout the years. To be honest, Crissy and I always had a natural connection on and off the field. She is one of the very few people I do not have to verbally communicate with 24/7 when I am playing with her - we became that familiar with the other's patterns and behaviors. Crissy and I also had similar senses of humor, could fully insane together, and we were absolutely the best hype-man for each other throughout our childhood.
The odd thing about best friends and close teammates in the sports world is you wish them all the success they can achieve and you want them to do their absolute best. At the same time, you want to compete with them, occasionally beat them, and feed off of the other's competitive drive. This naturally leads to some tense moments throughout decades of a sports based friendship, and Crissy and I have certainly had our moments where a tackle was too much or a personal goal led to the other feeling overlooked. Thankfully, we have always been able to move past it and continue to push each other on and off the field. Even more importantly, we have always been able to have fun when we play together. To me, that is one of the highest compliments I can afford someone in the soccer world.
Of the many things I have always appreciated about Crissy, there are two that always standout. First of all, we have both done some DUMB stuff in our lives and are fully aware of it. Somehow, I always know Crissy won't end our friendship over the dumb choices either of us make or shame me for my disastrous moments. Actually, she often ends up hyping me back up and making me feel my "boss" or "badass" energy. She also encourages me to try new styles, to be bold in what I pursue, and to not make myself small to make anyone feel more comfortable - and certainly to never shrink myself for a man, especially with the sports world we grew up in and the sexism we faced. Sometimes she overhypes me into my own stupidity, but that leads to some entertaining growth moments ;)
The second thing I have always appreciated about Crissy is how she makes me feel important every time we have not seen each other for awhile. It affirms that I matter to her and have a place in her life. The first time I went off to college was awful. I was so homesick and hated my first school. When I came home for Christmas break, my cousin had started to attend Crissy's school. I decided to go to their Christmas performance without letting Crissy know I would be there. When she saw me in the crowd, she sprinted into my arms and began happy crying. It was the exact hug I needed after that first, horrible semester. When I moved back from my third college and began to break back into the soccer community, she did something similar. Crissy was so excited to have me back, and alongside another dear friend (Kayla), they made sure I was back on teams with them - with people I have fun playing with. She chose me and made it clear to the new people around me that I was important to her.
Despite our miles or years apart, despite our sports based fights, growth based fights, or moments where we have been selfish, and despite knowing the worst about each other, our friendship has survived. Crissy is a person who has watched my biggest failures and still made me feel important and hyped me through them. She is also the person who I ALWAYS have fun with to this day. The person who keeps soccer enjoyable, the person who makes walking miles for tacos in Vegas fun, and the person who has allowed me to grow and change while loving all the versions of me. I am so thankful for our decades of friendship my "oo o" friend ;) and the quiet support we offer each other from near and far!
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