LDS FC: Forwards

To explain the title of my blog: A soccer team is usually called a football club (even here in America). English teams aren't like American teams where there's a city and a team name, it's usually just the area they represent. For example, we see Fullham FC, FC standing for Football Club. They are the Football Club from Fullham. Also, Chelsea FC, Wolverhampton FC, etc. It's even seen in MLS, with teams like FC Dallas, and Toronto FC.
I'm back on a soccer kick! (No pun intended. Seriously... I hate puns). I'm also on a series kick. I enjoyed writing an on going idea, and am going to attempt that again. This time, I will be writing about soccer.
What's so amazing about soccer is the versatility of each player. A good soccer player is a defender who attacks, and an attacker who defends. They'll be up and down the field, running their tails off, working whatever position they have to at the time, ensuring that the other team doesn't score, and their team does. However, while they are able to fill any role, there's still a reason they play their specific position. They're especially good at whatever they do. Today, I'm going to focus on the forwards.

The forward is the attacking force. Often called strikers (which sounds way cooler!), the forward is the one most likely to score a goal. Not as apt to play defense, they usually stay farther back when the other team has the ball on the other side of the field, but that won't stop them when necessary. Their the front line, the attackers, the scorers! When the ball gets to them, they're up their shooting the ball with all their might. They make their stand in the middle, right in the box, getting right in the keeper's face. The keeper obviously doesn't want them to get the ball, cause they're strikers because they're good at putting the ball in.
Some big names that fill this role include Clint Dempsey, Fernando Torres, Lionel Messi, Didier Drogba, and, a great up-and-comer, Juan Agudelo. To someone who doesn't quite understand, they might look at a striker and think of them as a glory hog, someone who doesn't do much on the other end, stays on their half, and sometimes considered a "cherry-picker". Just because Wayne Rooney doesn't know how to stay onside, doesn't mean the rest of them are that way, too! Their role is incredibly important, as a good portion of goals are scored by them. Plus, and this isn't necessarily all the time, but I've noticed that when Clint Dempsey scores, the US Men's National Team usually wins, and when he doesn't, they usually don't... Just sayin'. Forwards are the strike force for their football club!
Well, if we compare the Church to a football club, who would be the strikers? US! The full time missionaries! We're the Church's strike force! We're out there on the front line, knocking down doors, offering service, and talking to everyone we see to try and share our message! We may not be on the defensive as much, and usually are pretty focused on one thing (that is, finding the elect), but we're still out there, scoring goals! Or, saving souls. While the forwards on the team are the main offensive group, we're the main offensive group for the Church. We're the ones that are fed the ball in the center, right their in the danger zone, and expected to finish strong! As surprising as it may seem, without 19-26 year old (seemingly) kids, the Church would be hard pressed to progress. We may seem like glory hogs sometimes, but we're not out here for us. Just like Clint Dempsey isn't on the team just to score goals and get notoriety, we're not out just for personal gain or recognition. Dempsey wants to help his team win, and so do we! But we need help. Just like a football club needs to be a well-oiled, cooperative group, relying on the support of teammates to achieve their goal, so do we rely on the help of the rest of our team........

Clint "Deuce" Dempsey

So, I'm a big soccer fan (for proof, click here). I've been a fan my whole life, have been a Colorado Rapids fan for their whole life (since 1996), and been a Chelsea fan for several years... Though now I'm leaning more towards Fulham. And that brings me to my point: Clint Dempsey. If that doesn't make sense, I'll explain: Clint Dempsey plays for Fulham. There, all explained. He also plays for the US National Team and is a total stud. He was the first American to score 10 goals in a season in the English Premier League. So, now it's established that he's awesome. But how do you think he got so awesome? Do you think he just woke up one day, and said, "I think I'm gonna play soccer!", walked over to Bob Bradley and told him to put him on as starter on the National team, then walk over to Mark Hughes and say "Hey, put me on as starter on Fulham"? Well, he very well might have, but they probably would've told him to beat it. No, he worked hard, probably since a very young age. He probably had a ball at his feet for hours a day. He went through struggles and trials, let downs and disappointments, and probably just a whole bunch of rough times. He grew up in very rough environments in a financially depraved home, but he worked hard all his youth. He did well in school, and at an early age he joined the Dallas Texans, a youth team, and excelled. Due to limited finances, he was forced to let it go for a while, but thanks to the help of teammates, he was able to rejoin. Later, he joined the Arsenal youth team (hey, no one's perfect), but had to, again, move on because of a severely ill cousin. He did very well on his college team, and in 2004 he was drafted 8th overall in the MLS Draft to the New England Revolution. After 3 years with them, he moved over to England to play with Fulham FC and excel. Now he's one of the best American players (if not the best) in the world.
But, none of that could have happened without hard work and dedication. Everything worth doing is worth doing well, and Dempsey is a great example of that. As we work hard towards our goal, we will see success. This applies to all aspects of our life, including in the Gospel. As we learn more about it, and work hard in staying faithful, we become better at it, and we grow in skill. Everything we do will prepare us for trials we may face. We need to constantly be willing to work hard, even through hard times and difficulties, and never give up. No matter what happens, it's important that we work hard. Let's all be Clint Dempseys of the faith!

Practice Makes Perfect

Each and everyday, we learn more and more. If we don't, it was kind of a waste of a day. Think about your main hobby or skill. Odds are, you're probably pretty good at it. And why is that? Because you practice. Now, think back to the first day you ever tried that: the first time you picked up your instrument, or sat down with some crayons and a piece of paper, or the first time you tried kicking a ball. You probably weren't very good, were you? I remember the first time I picked up a bass. I didn't know how to tune it, how to hold it, what the strings were, or anything... Flash forward about 10 years, I'm pretty good. The first time we come into contact with something that requires talent or any effort whatsoever, we're not going to instantly be champions. I'm sure Shaun White wasn't throwing down 1260 McTwists his first day, just like Clapton was shredding when he first grabbed a guitar, or Clint Dempsey rocking the field when he first started soccer. The point is, we all need to go through a learning process before we can reach our desired level.
The same can be said about the Gospel: You're not going to get everything all at once. You can't just assume to pick up the Book of Mormon, read it all, go to Church, and in a week be a scriptorian and know all the ins and outs of the Church, its history, and doctrines. That's just not going to happen. Understanding, comprehension, and testimony come over time, but they come as you exert effort. As you do the things you need to do, these things will come. It's good to read the Book of Mormon and go to Church, just realize that it's not going to be an instantaneous thing. All things come with time, and, as we've all heard, practice makes perfect. And no one is at the epitome, probably not even the Prophet. He still needs guidance from the Lord to help him, so why should we think that we're anywhere near the top? Everyone needs to keep growing and learning, and need to work hard to do so. As we exercise our spiritual muscles, they grow and become stronger. So let's keep pushing along, practicing our religion, and growing in strength, knowledge, and testimony! Practice, practice, practice!