Since primary school, football is something that I look forward to playing.
Whether it be with my friends at the park or with my teammates at an actual match, the experience is always the same.
Taking a touch to receive the ball, dribbling it past others and then passing it forward to a teammate.
The adrenaline rush from when you or your teammate scores is incomparable.
On the other hand, nothing sucks more than hearing the referee blow the final whistle when your team is down on goals.
Emil Joseph has shared a universal passion for football since a youngster.
Especially when you’re in the semi-finals.
As someone who has experienced this first-hand, let me tell you, it isn’t fun.
This year, I played in the Shepparton Junior Soccer Association under-16 winter competition for the Goulburn Valley Grammar School Gold team.
This consisted of having weekly training sessions and Saturday morning matches.
The weekly training sessions were aimed to improve our abilities and skills on the pitch, but it did much more than that.
It gave us values that could be used outside of the pitch such as teamwork, courage and resilience.
The sessions also helped me build camaraderie with my fellow teammates, which managed to remain when off the pitch as well.
This helped me realise that football isn’t just about winning.
Even when you lose, you should enjoy having the chance to have played.
It’s about enjoying the game and its values, that is the beauty of football.
Emil Joseph is a Year 10 student from Goulburn Valley Grammar School who is on work experience at The News.
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