Grass on the Other side is not always greener

Yaretzi, 10th - Oakland, CA

I have been playing club soccer for three years with a club called Oakland Genesis Soccer Club. This club has been an essential part of my academic and athletic growth. They provide academic support, career and college readiness support, and tutoring sessions, along with the opportunity to play in a competitive soccer team; all for free. The club also provides free transportation to an academic session and soccer practice. They also give students the opportunity to attend special events such as college tours, professional soccer games, festivals, and have opportunities to meet with professional athletes, one of them being Stephen Curry from the Golden States Warriors. Ever since joining the club in 2021, I have seen significant improvement in my performance in school & sports, my work ethic, and in my leadership & social skills. I am always surrounded by people who have similar goals as me which has allowed me to grow even stronger in all these aspects.

In November of 2023, the head coaches of Oakland Genesis offered an opportunity that I could not say no to. They offered me a paid internship to work with a company called Lineage Logistics during the summer of 2024. They prioritize their work in finding cost-saving and sustainable ways of transporting cold foods across the world. I was invited to work in their data science offices in San Francisco along with two other members of the soccer club. A few months later, I was forced to make a difficult decision. My brother who has always pushed me to thrive in soccer started to bring up the idea to switch clubs due to the significant amount of losses my team was facing and the lack of participation & effort from my teammates. I was ultimately convinced to switch to a different club. This new club was quite costly and only offered being on the team, but had a better record of wins in their games.

When I had announced to my coaches from Oakland Genesis that I would be leaving, they told me something that put me under tremendous pressure; I would have to give up the opportunity of a paid-internship if I were to leave. I did not know what to do. After giving it much thought, in the end I decided that my goals for my future did not consist of being a professional soccer player. I want to be an aerospace engineer and giving up internships, college & career programs, and academic support would not get me the dream career that I work so hard for.

​My current soccer club, Oakland Genesis, offers me so many opportunities for no cost that others pay to have. Without being in the club, my academics would not have been as strong as they are now. They are continuing to support me in anything I need and I could not ask for more. This showed me that one should never take for granted what they have right in front of them, despite the other options being so tempting to take. People expect to see growth and progress instantly, but great things take time. I could have taken the option to exceed in soccer rapidly, but that would not have allowed me to reach my lifelong goals. Your grass may not be as green and luscious as others, but always remember grass requires a lot of care and time to grow and flourish. Never be tempted to cross to the other side, because it might be a just be facade.