Henry Catlin

It’s crazy to think that a ball can change one’s life. It means everything - friends, family, lifestyle, passion, anger, greed, exhaustion, love, hate, sadness, money. Something that sounds easy to explain, yet words can’t describe, like air. Soccer may just be a game but to me it’s like breathing to simply live. Stepping onto the pitch, watching a game, playing with friends. Inhale. Dribbling the ball, passing, shooting, scoring. Exhale. Five minutes left game tied, opponent shoots. Inhale. Keeper saves, counterattack, ball in the net. Exhale. I don’t know when the end of the road will be for me and soccer, maybe never. It’s about the journey. Soccer has given me a road, experiences along the way, to breathe, to live, and give back as a captain, a mentor, a friend, a coach, a teammate.