Playing soccer as an occupation

2024/3/14

I have written about how Yuki’s engaging in the occupation of playing soccer

has promoted her health and wellbeing.

Today I want to share with you more about a view of playing soccer

as an occupation and occupational choice from these angles:

              the form of the occupation of playing soccer,

              the function of the occupation,

              and the meaning of the occupation of playing soccer as an occupation.

To look at playing soccer in a big occupational picture, let’s imagine Yuki

engaging in playing soccer.

Playing soccer as an occupation

Yuki’s story shows that, facing the challenges from the environment, Yuki has repeatedly chosen how to play soccer to adapt to the challenges to get a good situation and well-being. Here were three big challenges that hit Yuki.

The first challenge hit her when she decided a high school to go. She chose a high school good at soccer, far away from her hometown, to become an excellent soccer player.

The second challenge hit her in her career choice. She didn’t choose professional soccer player but physiotherapist for her future independent life. Yuki was satisfied with her job but regretted that she did not get a good circumstance to play soccer.

The third challenge was recruitment from a women soccer team. She applied for a player to be involved in playing soccer again. She is satisfied with her life as a gutsy soccer player.

Soccer has been an important and meaningful occupation for Yuki. Every time she was challenged from the environment, she always chose seriously how she would play soccer in her everyday life to adapt to her challenge. 

Form of the occupation:

Yuki has played soccer in a local soccer team since she was 8-9 years old. She went to a high school good at soccer. She chose physiotherapist for her career and went to a professional school. She didn’t get good opportunities to be involved in playing soccer. Now working as a full-time physiotherapist, she belongs to a women soccer team. She enjoys participating in team practice, independent practice and playing games as a player with other teams.

Function of the occupation:

Soccer has established Yuki’s identity. Since she was a kid, she was involved in playing soccer, chose a high school to play soccer more to become an excellent player. But she prioritized her future career and went to professional school.

She wasn’t able to be involved in playing soccer because she chose her future career. 

She couldn’t maintain her identity as a soccer player. She wasn’t happy at all.

Yuki recovered her identity when she chose to join a women’s soccer team and was involved in playing soccer as a player of the team.

Be embedded in playing soccer and connecting with people through playing soccer, she maintains her identity as a soccer player.

Meaning of the occupation:

Playing soccer has been an important and meaningful occupation to Yuki.

Nothing is in Yuki’s life without playing soccer.

Through playing soccer, she created who she is, she performs herself and makes interactions with people.

Yuki continues punching back the environmental challenge to adapt it by playing soccer and to get good situation and wellbeing.

How to play soccer and how to relate to soccer will change depending on her development.

She would face different challenges from the environment in the future.

Her punching back the environmental challenge would change depending on her growth and aging. How to perform herself in the world of soccer would not be the same.