It has been a wonderful summer for soccer enthusiasts. From the casual viewers to those with a borderline obsession to the sport, the two major international tournaments broadcasted on TV have not failed to disappoint. The Copa América Centenario and UEFA Euro 2016 have provided many exciting moments over the past few weeks. My father and I have loved soccer since our respective childhoods. Back in the Soviet days, he was known as Хорошевич (literally “good one”) for his unique ability to cross the ball into the area of the goal and periodically score. His love for the game rubbed off on me, and we have been playing and watching it for as long as I can remember. With my last summer break before the “real world begins,” I am so thankful that we have had the opportunity to watch a lot of soccer games together. From Argentinian Lionel Messi’s free kick against the U.S. to the Swiss footballer Xherdan Shaqiri’s bicycle kick against Poland (shown above), there has been no shortage of epic goals to which we were lucky enough to have been witness.
To some degree, the goals we set for ourselves shape the course of our lives. Sometimes we fall short of achieving them, shooting hard for a dream, only to hit an obstacle and ricochet further back then we once were. This is all part of the game of life. We always want to score well on exams or get accepted for internships or scholarships or whatever the case may be. But what defines us is how we respond to adversity and bounce back. Everyone in the veterinary field deals with a fair share of problems. Setting goals and sticking to them, even with setbacks galore, is how we score.