A very subjective look into AWFC

I know that I have spoken about similar things in the past but last weekend I lived something very interesting that made me think a lot about injury recovery, mental hurdles and more. Since I hadn’t felt this ever not only did I want to share with you but I also got to thinking about our squad and how incredibly built they are mentally and emotionally, let alone physically.

Ever since I can remember I played football. From the age of 12 til at least 25, not a week would go by when I didn’t play futsal, 7 v 7, 5 v 5, kicking a ball in a park, whatever you can think of. It was part of my life.

It’s very important for you to know that I wasn’t great. I had no ability to defend, and I got tired very easily. When I said I played its mostly with friends and the random league here and there, but nothing serious.

I started as a forward and the older I got and the less I worked on my stamina I kept going farther and farther back on the pitch and ended up in goal, which I loved with all my heart.

The busier I got with music, the less I played football. Then, in a blink of an eye I had gone 2 or 3 years without playing!!! Insane. At that point I just assumed there was no way I should play again anyway because I didn’t want to get hurt as I use all my limbs.

My amazing wife signed me up for a league as a surprise about 8 years ago and I got so excited. I played in goal for a few seasons, also at a futsal league, and would take the odd season off. Then in another blink of an eye I hadn’t played in 5 years. So wild. Even after knowing how incredibly fun it was, I was worried about injuries.

Last year I decided to rejoin, as a keeper again and one random day, you guessed it, I got injured. I almost tore my right bicep and it was the worst pain I’ve ever felt and my soul left my body knowing that I couldn’t play music in who knows how long.

Thankfully I recovered and now, I have re-joined my league but I’m an outfield player. My first match was Saturday and even though we lost 3-2, it was incredible. It hit me that it was the first time in over 10 years that I had played a match NOT on goal.

I was overwhelmed with so many feelings and thoughts. From gratitude to anger that I hadn’t played before… I was proud of myself and also disappointed that I should’ve played better and all these things.

Mentally I had prepared myself for a few weeks, and I felt like a kid again! And physically I had actually started training on my own for a few weeks and things were going amazing BUT 3 weeks before the match I injured my calf. I was gutted and thought I wouldn’t make it.

I took care of myself, iced my leg, used a Thera gun, etc etc etc and mentally I was shot. I was worried, doubting myself and also super confident that I would make it. HOW THE HELL DO PLAYERS DEAL WITH THIS ALL THE TIME!!!!??????????

The anxiety was absurd. The worry, the expectation, the excitement. All of these emotions were crazy and funny enough its what most people think I feel when I perform, but this is quite different.

Naturally I asked myself how Leah deals with this. How Viv does. How do they all do. And not that I need reminders but we do need reminders, you know??

The mental and emotional strength to deal with physical setbacks is not something that is part of my life and I’m very happy that I have lived this at a very small degree because of what it has done for me mentally and emotionally too. Of course I’m also much more mindful of my body the older I get.

Go out there and do what you love doing and makes you happy!