OSU Soccer – Kayla Maduk

teampic — 2011-2012 Winter Season OSU Force U16 Girls

March 2012 UPDATE

Hardest Decision Ever – I hope I don’t regret it!

I LOVE SOCCER. I love everything about it. I love the mental strategy and anticipating the play. I love the satisfaction you get when you give the perfect pass. I love the rush you get when you are the first to the ball. I love the excitement you get when you soar higher than your opponent for the header. I love the satisfaction you get defending your net. I love the fact that you win as a team or you lose as a team. I had a blast travelling with a team and building friendships. I love my coach Audra and that is why this decision is soooooooo hard.

I have decided to stop soccer for a season. While I’ve been injured this winter, it’s given me the opportunity to really focus and what I want to do in the few years. I’ve decided to test for my 3rd degree black belt next month so I can learn the new patterns in time for the Can-American Championships in June. Then compete at Nationals in November. I have to place in the top 3 in order to qualify for the National team to compete for Canada at the next World Championships in Spain, 2013. Since I’ve already missed two sanctioned events from my ankle injury I really have to make sure I’m at my best at Nationals.

When I made theTaekwon-Do National team in 2010 I really didn’t have a clue how much training and commitment was involved. It consumed me and I loved every second of it. I now know and understand the pressures of time and how much I can commit to other sports. As much as I love team sports I need to have the flexibility for my TKD training.

It’s too much pressure for me to constantly be missing special tkd opportunities because I have to be a soccer. I always feel like I’m letting someone down and I hate that feeling more than anything since I take my commitments very seriously.

With a team sport I can’t let down my 18 team mates, plus their parents and my coach. They have all made the commitment and deserve to have everyone else make the same commitment.

I thought I would be satisfied after the last World Championships but going to Spain is even a bigger challenge for me. Because it’s in Europe there will be more competitors than there was in New Zealand. I’m also going to be a 3rd degree which is a higher level. More importantly, now I have to go and defend my title since everyone else wants it too. All this really excites me but I have to be prepared!!!

I have also had a very unexpected realization of how much I want to continue pursuing Javelin. I have loved my training this winter with Bill and my training buddies. Being another individual sport I know I will be able to continue with it. I love to see that you can easily measure your improvement and I plan on attending as many meets this summer as possible. There is so much more to the Javelin than I first thought at the beginning and I really want to see how far I can get with it.

I know that I will return to soccer someday since I love it so much but unfortunately there are only so many days in a week. I’ve had a blast with my team over the last few years but I know this isn’t forever. I always want to keep a ‘touch’ on the ball.

Every time you make a decision there are consequences and I’m really nervous for making this one and I hope that I don’t regret it. I know I’m going to miss soccer and I would have loved to be coached by Audra for the next two years since I know she is going to be great for the team and I really hope that they can make it to the OYSL level again this summer. I just hope that my team mates will understand and support my decision. I was glad I was able to tell them in person about my decision. I will miss everyone and still want to come out to watch the games.

Look at the OSU Photo Gallery for more pictures

http://ikicklikeagirl.com/photo-gallery/osu-soccer-pictures/

2010 OSU U-14 Force Regional Team – Placed First in Season – Promoted to OYSL Level for Next Year