It all started for me at the age of 2. I must have instinctively felt my father's excitement after the ball landed in the net once again. He was watching the Final of 1972 Olympic Games and his favorite player has just scored his second goal of the game. The white and red stripes on the players socks looked so great and ever since that moment I couldn't stop dreaming. Apparently I was not that good at convincing my parents to buy me a soccer ball, because it took them four more years to finally succumb to my requests. I definitely fell in love with the sport after they had presented me with the most beautiful gift that a little boy could have imagined: a colorful, rubber soccer ball. I recall the moments when I looked at that magical object, feeling its texture and amazing perfect shape just before falling asleep. Yes, as much as it sounds cliche, I really did sleep with the ball. It made me feel safe, and it made me feel at home. From that point on I used every opportunity to sneak outside and play. I enjoyed every aspect of my relationship with the ball, whether it be dribbling, juggling or creative moves and everything started to come together on the soccer pitch in one skillful dance of perfect expression.

   My skills were polished and my dreams shifted. I craved the real competition with uniforms, coaches, referees and everything else that constituted the real thing. I knew I was ready. I was finally going to join the team. They have just won an international tournament and I found out about it from the media, so needless to say I was a little bit intimidated. Fortunately all I had to do to cure myself from any fear was to simply step onto the pitch and let my subconscious mind take over my body. The chemistry among the players was amazing and I felt like a fish in the water doing what I knew best- sending the ball into the net over and over again. At the end of my first season I was my team's best scorer, but most importantly I had the time of my life. Soccer transitions, just like any other life changes are not always easy, but they have one common thread, they teach us valuable lessons about the strength of our character. My natural speed and goal scoring ability were the reason for my early debut with the main team at the club. Here I was, just seventeen years old, playing with seasoned, experienced players who were tested in many soccer battles. In an instant I realized that in order to succeed on that level I would have to adjust, but I had no other choice because I truly loved the sport. It didn't take long before I felt comfortable on the pitch again, and to this day it is a magical place for me, where I always feel like a little child full of dreams."The map is not the territory " said scientist and philosopher Alfred Korzybski, speaking of our limited perception of reality. We choose our own unique ways through which we update our personal maps and soccer was and still is a big part of mine.