How 38 Minutes Made Me a Star - David Wang
David Wang is a rising senior at the Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Originally from Beijing, China, David is on Baylor’s state championship winning soccer team.
I have had some great success in playing soccer.
Coming to America, I was the captain for my previous school in Beijing for 6 years, been recognized as one of the most talented players in the district at the age of 8 and was chosen by a professional club in 8 th grade.
However, if I tell you I have only played 38 minutes in total for the entire soccer season last year, would you still consider me the same player when you read the first line?
My name is David Wang, an up-coming senior at Baylor School, Chattanooga; today I am here to share my story that by no mean is about how I succeeded on the pitch as one of the greatest talents, but about how a person can use his/her power to shine off the pitch as one of the most important parts of a team.
My soccer journey started when I was 5 years old, with my dad in the back yard of my house; ironically, my dad was a college basketball player, it was his love in watching soccer games encouraged him to start ‘project Messi’ on me. The first time I started kicking that ball, I instantly fell in love with it. Not only because I love the feeling of celebrating after a goal, but I enjoyed the previous friendships I built by playing soccer. I couldn’t remember how many times soccer was the start of a relationship, but I do remember that kicking the ball in that small backyard of mine was the sweetest memory when I was a kid. That passion of playing soccer didn’t fade as I grew up, into middle school, and now, coming with me to high school in Tennessee.
When I first entered the locker room in August 2021, our team was a mess. Our members came from over 8 countries, each speaking a different language and having his own understanding of the game. We have all different habits of our own: Brazilians like to blast music out loud whereas Europeans like to meditate; Africans love Afro, but Americans love country music; I could see players arguing with each other’s on the bus, complaining about their habits in the locker room, and shouting at each other for not passing the ball in the middle of the game. It came as no surprise that we started the season with two losses.
No one had expected me to turn things around: I was merely a transferred student who by no means had the greatest talents or strongest body on the field. I had embraced success for most of my career of playing soccer, now, I am facing one of the biggest adversities. With passion for my beloved sport and determination to help make our season, I decided to act.
As the friendly guy everyone loves off the pitch, I began with what I am best at: Connecting people together. I learned most of it when I was leading my previous team: I started reaching out to everyone in the team, from inviting players to join me at lunch table in the dining hall, to finding my European brother a Prom date, I gradually built trust among some of the members off the pitch.
In the locker room, I proposed that the team let the top goal scorer of the day pick his playlist and share his culture with the rest; whenever the team undergoes hardship, I will be the loudest one on the bench, shouting everyone’s name, and encouraging them to never give up. Soon, I was joined by other substitutes, and together we ended up carrying the best morale. When 25 hearts, finally united into not only a team but also a family, we became undefeated, winning the state championship, and was ranked as the 3rd best high school soccer team in the nation. By the end of our journey our captain, a senior player who is going to a professional soccer club, came to me, said this while he was giving me a big hug: ‘David, you carried us throughout the season, please do the same for the younger kids next year!’
At last, my suggestion toward all the Asian Athletes out there is that no matter what you do, and how bad you see the situation at the time, don’t ever lose faith. Hold on to your passion, think about those joys the sport brought you, that’s what drives you to go through this journey. Remember that if you are playing a team sport, contribution comes in every corner. In my case, by creating a sense of unity among a team of talented individuals, I was able to use my strength in coordination and communication to contribute to my team’s success. When the opportunity comes to you, grasp it; but if it doesn’t, be patient, devote yourself into the game despite the disappointment. From this extremely meaningful journey, I learned that not all leaders come in the form of the biggest star play. Going forward, I will continue to be the “glue” that brings the glimmers together and brighten up the sky.
