Hallie Atwell

Robby Stahl- My Soccer Coach

        Roby Stahl stands six feet, two inches tall at the age of 63. As a mere ten-year-old girl of scarcely 4 feet, 7 inches, his height nearly petrifies me. I am walking to my first official club soccer practice with a new coach and an entirely new team.  Upon my arrival, I see sixteen new faces and one in particular that makes me about stop in my tracks. My new coach has the smallest trace of white hair that looks like it could fall out at any minute; this is soon to be covered by his red Kings Soccer Academy ball cap. Aside from the slight bulge that protrudes from his stomach, his entire body seems fit enough for a twenty-five-year-old man. His legs are as toned as a body builder’s, with especially strong calves that make his ankles look tiny, and arms that show no indication of a day missed at the gym.

        According to my parents, Roby Stahl has coached some of the most famous woman soccer players, including Mia Hamm and was even married to Michelle Akers at a time.  If this didn’t already terrify me enough, the tense and stern atmosphere that seemed to surround him definitely did. “Everyone sit down, there will be no talking or you will be dismissed from practice,” are the first words that leave his mouth as we all walk toward him. “Great”, I think, “this should be fun.” Throughout the duration of the practice, Roby stands off to one side of the field and carefully watches each drill that our practice consists of; he does not let a single mistake go unnoticed or without a remark on how to improve. If necessary, he is not afraid to raise his voice if he believes his point is not getting across. Whether it be a critique or an acclamation, he never looks happy. He constantly stands with his eyes squinting and lips curled back into his mouth, the ultimate look of concentration. Later on I start to believe that his rigid appearance does not mean he is mad or dislikes coaching our team; instead I believe that his only concern is the progress of our team, therefore prohibiting a single thought unrelated to soccer enter his mind.

As time with our new coach continues, Roby starts to become one of the most influential role models in my life. With only a couple months under my belt, I learned more about soccer from Roby than I had in my whole four years of previous experience. He is dedicated, extremely qualified and knows exactly what he wants to accomplish, letting nothing get in his way. He has no tolerance for messing around or any forms of gossip unrelated to soccer during our practices. In our four years together, he taught me not only a great deal about the game of soccer, but also shared with me some of life’s most important lessons. For example, Roby once said a famous quote to me, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” Although I had heard this before, he stressed the point that this quote did not only pertain to soccer. Instead, he wanted to remind me that life is worth taking risks and for that, I owe it to him to take chances and put forth my best effort in everything I partake in. Roby Stahl has prepared me for success not only in the game of soccer, but also for the times when life gets tough; and for that I will always remember him.

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