Time slows down, every second turning into ten, gravity is turned off and everyone goes silent. The ball spins, continuing to follow an invisible path unknown to all. The ball seems to taunt me, saying that there is no way I will stop it. As I am flying through the air everyone’s eyes fall upon me. My team appears to be praying that I will save the shot. I watch the ball the entire time and stretch my arms out as much as I can. It gets a foot away from my outstretched arms, my heart beat terminates for a few seconds.

...Earlier that day...

It was fall in Midland, Michigan, I was playing in a soccer tournament against Port Huron in the semi-finals. The score was 2-2 with 5 minutes left in double overtime. My coach pulls me off the bench and says for me to go into the game as goalie. Looking back, I realize my coach trusted me and my ability in goal, but I want to say to him, “Coach why me, why do I have to be the one that could be responsible for losing the game,” but I keep my mouth closed.

As I trudged onto the field my heart is racing, if no one scores before overtime is over we have to go into a penalty shootout. I have never been in a penalty shootout before but I knew the outcome it could have. I stand in the goal box for the next 5 minutes of the game, dreading the inevitable penalty shootout. Then before I know it all of the time is gone and I have to face my fears. My stomach was filled with butterflies. Before the penalty shootout begins, my coach says to me, “Pick a side.”

I ask him, “What do you mean?”

He then replies with something I will never forget and has changed me ever since, “You have to believe in yourself and your decisions.” He was telling me no matter what believe you can do it and trust yourself and you will be successful.

The inevitable time came that I was dreading and I have to go in goal to save a shot. Their first shooter is around five feet tall and skinny, on his back is a navy blue number 25. He goes to the left side of the ball meaning he is left footed. Then the referee blows his whistle and number 25 runs to kick the ball. I panic not knowing what side to pick, the left or right. I quickly dive to the right as his foot hits the ball. I look at the ball as it is shot the opposite way I dove, to the left.

My heart drops as I lose sight of the ball. I hear a faint thump of the ball. “I know it hit the post but did it go in or did it bounce out?” I think to myself. Once I get up and turn around I notice the ball sitting 5 yards outside the goal. My breath returns and I relax a little. The moments before the shot replay in my mind, panicking and diving wildly. I know it can’t happen again so I make a plan to go to whatever side their dominant foot is. Therefore I will dive to the right side if the player is right footed and dive to the left side if the player is left footed. The butterflies slowly start to disappear because I now had a system in place that I was going to follow.

Next up was my team to shoot. Ethan, my teammate, is one of our best shooters. He always places his shots with lots of power. I felt very confident in his finesse as he stepped up to take the shot. As he normally does, he is shooting right footed. When the whistle blows he runs and buries the ball in the bottom left corner. Making the score in the penalty shootout 1-0. With anxiety in my heart, I realize how important the next shot was for my team and I, and if I don’t save it we could go home with a loss. Again I make my way toward the goal, I am less afraid but still anxious.

This time a kid around four foot six inches tall is taking the shot right footed. I flash back, think about my plan and remember I am diving right if the shooter is right footed. I know which way I am diving and get ready. The whistle is blown and I dive right before the ball is even kicked. His foot hits the ball on the right side and it is sent my way. I’m happy my new strategy worked because I picked the correct side, but will I be able to save it and lead my team to victory or will I not be able to save it and end up losing the game? Time slows down, every second turning into ten, gravity is turned off and everyone goes silent. The ball spins, continuing to follow an invisible path unknown to all. The ball seems to taunt me, saying that there is no way I will stop it. As I am flying through the air everyone’s eyes fall upon me. My team appears to be praying that I will save the shot. I watch the ball the entire time and stretch my arms out as much as I can. It gets a foot away from my outstretched arms, my heart beat terminates for a few seconds. It hits my hands, and I grab it as Manuel Neuer would, gripping it like a green gecko. I finally hit the ground after what felt like an eternity in the air. My heart is racing like a rocket, I can’t believe it, I just saved a penalty shot.

The rest of the penalty shootout was a blur; we ended up winning the shootout 4-3. If it wasn’t for the shot I saved we may have ended up going home with a loss. From that day forward I always deemed anything possible because I believed in myself. This experience taught me, believing in yourself is the first step to reaching success.