After HASA folded, I hooked up with some of the HASA guys in CASA. CASA is the Chesterfield Amateur Soccer Association. CASA was a much bigger league with many more teams and several divisions. Again, our games were on Sunday. CASA was a bit more competitive than HASA and demanded more skill and more fitness. Of course, the tougher the competition, the harder I would play. During the CASA years I really started getting in shape. Our team even had a few practices during the week.
Mostly I would use the games to get in shape but I also had a special way of getting in shape during practices. I would play hard all the time. During practices I would spend nearly as much energy as in a game. Not quite but pretty close. One technique I use involves dead balls. When the ball would go out of bounds during a scrimmage or short sided game at practice, most people take the opportunity to catch their breath while someone chases the ball. When I was at practice, I was always the one to chase the ball. I would sprint after the ball and retrieve it back onto the field. These impromptu sprints really elevated my fitness level. It was a simple technique that I had used for many years. This technique also contributed to the overall fitness of the team. Not really a great amount, but a little. Basically there were no breaks for anyone because I would keep the ball in play.
I ended up playing in CASA for several seasons before our team folded. The guy who organized the team decided to retire from soccer and there was no one who wanted to step up and take over the team. I was luck though. One night I received an email from the guy who organized my CASA team. He had forwarded an email from one of the other CASA teams captains. This other team was looking for a player or two and this guy specifically wanted me to play for his team. I was described in the email as a "reliable" player. I took that as a decent enough compliment. And it was true. I was reliable all right. I never missed any games or practices and I was reliable on the field. You could count on me to make good passes and to always give it my all. My new team was called Galaxy.
When I joined the Galaxy we were still playing in CASA. However it was not long before we moved from CASA to the CVSA. The Central Virginia Soccer Association was very big and also very well organized. The CVSA fields were also closer to where I lived and we got to play many games at Bryan Park. Bryan Park is an adult amateur soccer player's dream soccer park. There are 5 very nice grass fields within a big park with lots of acreage. The fields themselves were inspiring.
Playing for Galaxy changed things. These guys were a little more serious about staying in shape and practicing. I liked that of course. We practiced and played hard and I got to know some of the guys better than any of the other guys I had played with in Richmond. As it turned out, several of the guys were also into mountain biking so that was a big plus.
My life as an adult amateur athlete really started to pick up. The soccer was more competitive, we practiced more, and there was general attitude on the team that fitness was important. In addition to playing harder soccer, I began to ride harder too. Some of the guys on the team introduced me to the trails in downtown Richmond. The trails in downtown are actually quite challenging. The James River goes right through the heart of downtown and the park system trails are quite excellent. These trails are featured during Xterra, the National Duathlon Championship as well as other local races. Have a new place to ride and other guys to ride with was a big plus in my book.
At this time in my life, I was exercising a great deal. I burned a lot of calories especially on the weekends. I was in pretty great shape. I always had energy, I slept well, and I felt pretty good most of the time.
Thanks again for staying with me. This edition was pretty soccer heavy. In my next edition, I plan to talk about some of the soccer injuries I have endured throughout the years.
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