Soccer Balls Just Love Me

I swear. My head is a magnet for soccer balls.

I actually played soccer for a number of years without incident, but during one practice in sixth grade we were scrimmaging and I was playing defense and was running up to meet the oncoming offense player, who promptly kicked the ball, hoping to score but my head got in the way and the ball struck me hard in the forehead, knocking me to the ground.

Same thing happened a year later during a game with my travel team....except this time I was hit full in the face.

After that season, I quit soccer.

But I still had to play indoor soccer in gym class and that March I was sitting in the bleachers, waiting for my turn to play, talking to my friend Hannah, when a soccer ball comes whizzing at me and hits the front of my head. It gave me a concussion. I was not pleased.

Fall of 8th grade, I was at one of my brother's soccer games. I was sitting on the sideline, contentedly reading my book. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a soccer ball comes and hits me in the face. It was NOT COOL.

Soccer balls just seemed to be attracted to my face or something.

Then came yesterday...

I was having a very good day. Biology wasn't painful, band was fun and went very well, history was pretty chill learning about Buddhist meditation, and gym was the last class of the day.

I got to gym ready to go, took my inhalar, it was a beautiful day out, we were supposed to run a half mile and I finished first and was feeling really good after....it was good. Then my teacher said "Let's go over to the outfield of the baseball field and do some soccer." So we went. We were in groups doing a drill called juggling, where you pass the ball around and hit it only with you feet, knees and head and try not to let it touch the ground. The first minutes went well. Then someone kicked the ball a little bit too hard and.....into my face it went. Somehow, my glasses flew off my face and blood started exploding out of my nose. It was very gross. By the time I got up to the nurse my hands and face were simply COVERED in blood. It's probably good I didn't meet anyone in the halls, because I looked like something out of a horror movie.

See what I mean about soccer balls just loving me? I'm starting to think whenever I play soccer or watch soccer, I'm going to need to start wearing a helmet and face mask to protect myself!