On May 25th 2024, I played in my very first semi-pro league game with the Rockford Raptors UWS team. The UWS is a tier 2 development league with lots of familiar teams in their Midwest Conference like Michigan Hawks, Chicago Rush, and Nationals SC. We played against Edgewater Castle, a local Chicago team, on the Chicago Fire’s Fire Pitch. I am not going to lie, I was not sure what I was getting myself into. I didn’t know any of the girls, how high of a level the playing would be, or even our formation.
My parents drove me to the field because I am still a few weeks away from a driver’s license. I met with the girls in our locker room and we all changed into our new kits. Most of the girls were three to five years older than me, so I was feeling a little nervous. On top of that, I have been sick for the past three days. My voice was gone, I had a sore throat, you name it. However, I was optimistic about playing and excited to get out there.
We lined up for the national anthem and I very quickly realized that these were grown women I was playing against! I had the honor of starting the game as a defensive midfielder and as soon as the whistle blew, the game was intense, exciting, and I felt a great sensation that I was finally playing again after being a team manager for my high school for an entire season. I was eager for the ball and I think that the best part of my game was being a ball winner in the air.
When I was communicating with my teammates, my voice cracked every single time as a result of my sickness which gave everyone a good laugh. I played the whole first half and came on a second half sub to finish the match. The girls were some of the nicest I have ever played with and I am so excited for our next game. We came out with our first 2-1 win, scoring two goals on free kicks. Our team had not practiced together much, so I was very proud of how we played for each other and the win.
