Lessons from the Game of Soccer: It all starts with a love of sports

Celia Balf’s Lessons from the Game of Soccer
It all starts with a love of sports

By the time she was 3 years old, Celia Balf was already kicking around a soccer ball. “I participated in almost every sport our town had to offer,” she explains – including basketball, softball, lacrosse, gymnastics, mountain biking, football. “I couldn’t get enough of sports.” 

Balf went on to play lacrosse, basketball and soccer in high school, and played soccer for SUNY Albany. When an injury put her on the sideline, she used the lessons from being on the field to pivot and find another lifelong passion: writing. 

When Balf returned to the field her senior year, the team won the America East Championships for the first-time in Albany women’s soccer history. “Being part of history, especially after such a challenging college experience with injuries, was something I will never forget,” she says.

The resilience she developed over the years came from focusing on one thing: her love of sport. “I loved competing,” she says, even as a school-age kid. “Even though I faced judgment for typically being the only girl running around with the boys at recess, I truly didn’t care because there was no better feeling to me than running by one of my classmates and scoring a touchdown.” 

And the love of sport is what informs her work today – both as a content marketing manager for TeamSnap and the assistant women’s soccer coach for Columbia University.

How have sports influenced you – personally and professionally? 
Sports have taught me patience, discipline, leadership, and creativity, among so many other things. I learned so much about myself through the highs and lows competing at such a high level. Professionally, everything I’ve learned as an athlete has made me the hard worker I am today. I’ve learned to work with others, from all different backgrounds and experience levels and find common ground. I’ve learned personally that in life you have to sometimes have a goldfish memory and shake things off in three seconds to make room and move on for better.

What lessons from sports apply to your career now?
When I tore my ACL in college, I was sidelined for an entire year. I struggled with my identity off the field until I found writing as an expressive outlet. My personal experience of such a low point and heart-breaking injury turned into an opportunity to excel at something else. I went on to become editor of the college student newspaper, I worked for the city’s newspaper and local news station, and I broke stories on campus. Ironically, my time as a soccer player taught me how to turn challenging situations into opportunities. 

What advice do you have for girls who play sports?
Dream big. Take that first step and attack your goals and interests. Support will come, but you have to be the one to take that first step. From there, anything is possible.

Want to learn more about empowering girls in sports? Explore our latest blog post for valuable insights, tips, and resources to support girls in staying active and thriving in sports. Discover more here.