Mason Ard 2/24/22 Gio Vitrano Memorial Scholarship Win the Ball Soccer has been a part of my life since the day I was born. I always loved the smell of the fresh cut grass, the feeling of the ball glued to my feet, and the sound of the ball hitting the back of the net. Having soccer in my family has been extremely influential in my life. My Uncle Heith played soccer at Thomas University, and I will be following in his footsteps and attending there in the fall on a soccer scholarship. Uncle Heith was always super big on the importance of soccer being a team sport. ¨If your teammates lose the ball, it's your job to win it back for them.¨, I never understood why that was the case. ¨It's not my fault they lost the ball.¨, I would always reply. However this advice would not just apply to the sport itself, it applies to real life. My parents have always had a normal relationship. I always thought they'd still be together today and forever on as a child. However, when someone betrays your trust, it is hard to move on and forgive them. In the middle of my parent's separation, my Uncle Heith was there for me and my family. He took me to sporting events to get away from the house and we always spoke of me playing in college. We often spoke about me playing at Thomas University like him, and he always was happy to talk about that. He really was there for me in that time where I had ¨lost the ball¨ so to speak. He was the perfect teammate for me and my family. Everything seemed to be fine when Uncle Heith was around. September 8, 2020 was the day I heard the worst imaginable news. ¨Uncle Heith passed away.¨, my mother said while she began to break down. I sat there reflecting on the two weeks he had been in the hospital due to a collapsed lung. He was a fighter for two weeks in that hospital all alone. He was so strong even in his last days. My team captain, my uncle, my best friend has just been taken from me. I was so lost along with my family. Everything became a blur and everything felt as if it was a chore. As Uncle Heith would say, I definitely lost the ball. Luckily my teammates from church, school, and the soccer team won it back for me. Whether it was bringing us food or just calling to lift us up, they made things better for us. Through the storm, it definitely made me realize that TU was my future home like my uncle´s. I wanted to make him proud and smile up in Heaven and I know he was when I received the official offer from TU. I am planning to play there for the next four years and pursue a Master's degree in Special Education. My Uncle Heith and soccer has taught me that in life we are going to lose the ball every now and again. However, that doesn´t define us or life going forward. We must be there for our teammates at times of struggle and have trust in them to win the ball back for you too. Going forward, my life mission is to win the ball back for my teammates and pick them when a hard slide tackle comes in. I know Uncle Heith is proud and these next four years will make him even prouder.