--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I started playing soccer at age 6 and…" description: "\"I started playing soccer at age 6 and played both outfield and goalie. Back then, no one wanted to go on goalie - coaches would make deals with me so I..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/698/tim-howard-3985_age_i-started-playing-soccer-at-age-6-and-pl_2813970.jpg" --- # I started playing soccer at age 6 and played both outfield… ![“I started playing soccer at age 6 and played both outfield and goalie. Back then, no one wanted to go on goalie - coaches would make deals with me so I'd do it. It's a tough position as a kid.” quote by Tim Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/698/tim-howard-3985_age_i-started-playing-soccer-at-age-6-and-pl_2813970.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/698/tim-howard-3985_age_i-started-playing-soccer-at-age-6-and-pl_2813970.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/698/tim-howard-3985_age_i-started-playing-soccer-at-age-6-and-pl_2813970.jpg) > “I started playing soccer at age 6 and played both outfield and goalie. Back then, no one wanted to go on goalie - coaches would make deals with me so I'd do it. It's a tough position as a kid.” [Tim Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-howard/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early specialization can limit perspective; playing multiple roles builds adaptability. **In simple terms:** Playing many positions teaches flexibility. Key Takeaway Embrace varied experiences early. Themes growth adaptability learning Mood inspired reflective Type motivational educational When to use this quote - youth sports - team dynamics - career planning Key Concepts sports psychology developmental theory Questions to Reflect On - How did playing goalie shape your mindset? - What benefits come from role diversity? A Different Perspective Specialization may be needed for elite mastery. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) [Back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/back/) [Both](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/both/) [Coaches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coaches/) [Deals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deals/) [Go](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/go/) [Goalie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goalie-364555/) [Kid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kid/) [Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make/) [Me](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/me/) [Outfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outfield/) [Outfield Goalie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outfield-goalie-3540586/) [Played](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/played/) [Playing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing/) [Playing soccer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/playing-soccer/) [Position](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/position/) [Soccer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soccer/) [Soccer Age](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soccer-age-3540584/) [Started](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/started/) [Then](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/then/) [Tough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tough/) [Wanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted/) [Wanted Goalie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wanted-goalie-3540585/) [Would](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/would/) ## Related quotes > [I wanted to be a goalie.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nathan-chen/i-wanted-to-be-a-goalie/) [Nathan Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nathan-chen/) > [When I was playing soccer at the age of 14, the first thing we'd do before going out onto the field would be to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-schwarzenegger/when-i-was-playing-soccer-at-the-age-of-14-the-first-thing-we-d-do/) [Arnold Schwarzenegger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-schwarzenegger/) > [I never think Im going to make a double play in the outfield. But I did it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfonso-soriano/i-never-think-im-going-to-make-a-double-play-in-the-outfield-but-i/) [Alfonso Soriano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfonso-soriano/) > [The outfield is solid, so is the catching and the infield.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-zito/the-outfield-is-solid-so-is-the-catching-and-the-infield/) [Barry Zito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-zito/) > [I pitched and I played the outfield.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareem-abdul-jabbar/i-pitched-and-i-played-the-outfield/) [Kareem Abdul-Jabbar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareem-abdul-jabbar/) > [I've played the outfield my whole life. It's like riding a bike.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cody-bellinger/i-ve-played-the-outfield-my-whole-life-it-s-like-riding-a-bike/) [Cody Bellinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cody-bellinger/) > [Goalkeepers get criticism for commenting on outfield players, but outfield players can comment on goalkeeping; it is not a two-way street.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-bardsley/goalkeepers-get-criticism-for-commenting-on-outfield-players-but/) [Karen Bardsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-bardsley/) > [I think I do a great job in the outfield.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rafael-soriano/i-think-i-do-a-great-job-in-the-outfield/) [Rafael Soriano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rafael-soriano/) > [When I was young, it was fun being in the locker room and shagging balls in the outfield in spring training. But I couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-larkin/when-i-was-young-it-was-fun-being-in-the-locker-room-and-shagging/) [Shane Larkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-larkin/) > [Switching to the outfield was the best break I ever got.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-kaline/switching-to-the-outfield-was-the-best-break-i-ever-got/) [Al Kaline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-kaline/) > [I'll win more games playing everyday in the outfield than I will pitching every fourth day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herman/i-ll-win-more-games-playing-everyday-in-the-outfield-than-i-will/) [George Herman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herman/) > [When I was a kid, it was just like I would catch groundballs at shortstop, second base, third base, outfield.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-tatis-jr/when-i-was-a-kid-it-was-just-like-i-would-catch-groundballs-at/) [Fernando Tatis Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-tatis-jr/) > [I feel like everybody knew what I'm capable of in the outfield with my arm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-tatis-jr/i-feel-like-everybody-knew-what-i-m-capable-of-in-the-outfield-with/) [Fernando Tatis Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-tatis-jr/) > [I had a bilateral lisp, and I was overweight. I was the kid who played with the flowers on the ground in the outfield…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-tambor/i-had-a-bilateral-lisp-and-i-was-overweight-i-was-the-kid-who-played/) [Jeffrey Tambor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-tambor/) > [I played handball up until I joined United, both as a goalkeeper and an outfield player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-schmeichel/i-played-handball-up-until-i-joined-united-both-as-a-goalkeeper-and/) [Peter Schmeichel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-schmeichel/) ## More by Tim Howard > [You get 15 minutes of fame, I hear, and I've had 14 minutes. The clock's ticking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-howard/you-get-15-minutes-of-fame-i-hear-and-i-ve-had-14-minutes-the-clock-s/) [Tim Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-howard/) > [I wanted to be a soccer player; I wanted to do it at the highest level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-howard/i-wanted-to-be-a-soccer-player-i-wanted-to-do-it-at-the-highest-level/) [Tim Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-howard/) > [Manchester United could have any goalkeeper in the world. I was a 23-year-old kid from New Jersey who, from an early age, had to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-howard/manchester-united-could-have-any-goalkeeper-in-the-world-i-was-a-23/) [Tim Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-howard/) > [I like to get more than my normal 10 hours of sleep nights before a game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-howard/i-like-to-get-more-than-my-normal-10-hours-of-sleep-nights-before-a/) [Tim Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-howard/) > [Today, I am blessed to be living a dream. And yet, if it all went away tomorrow, I know I would still have peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-howard/today-i-am-blessed-to-be-living-a-dream-and-yet-if-it-all-went-away/) [Tim Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-howard/) > [Pressure can be good. It helps you to see what you're all about.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-howard/pressure-can-be-good-it-helps-you-to-see-what-you-re-all-about/) [Tim Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-howard/) > [As an OCD guy, I find change difficult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-howard/as-an-ocd-guy-i-find-change-difficult/) [Tim Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-howard/) > [I grew up in a generation when there was no soccer on TV.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-howard/i-grew-up-in-a-generation-when-there-was-no-soccer-on-tv/) [Tim Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-howard/) > [You want to be wanted, and you want people to rely on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-howard/you-want-to-be-wanted-and-you-want-people-to-rely-on-you/) [Tim Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-howard/) > [Sometimes I tic or twitch or cough, and it's a very public thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-howard/sometimes-i-tic-or-twitch-or-cough-and-it-s-a-very-public-thing/) [Tim Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-howard/) > [I don't complain when it's sunny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-howard/i-don-t-complain-when-it-s-sunny/) [Tim Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-howard/) > [Sponsorships and marketing are oftentimes pretty short-lived. From a company's standpoint, they're often not looking to do tremendously long contracts. They're always trying to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-howard/sponsorships-and-marketing-are-oftentimes-pretty-short-lived-from-a/) [Tim Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-howard/) > [Biggest off-field high; my kids, Alivia and Jacob.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-howard/biggest-off-field-high-my-kids-alivia-and-jacob/) [Tim Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-howard/) > [If you qualify for a World Cup and expect to get an easy group, you are in the wrong sport. It doesn't work like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-howard/if-you-qualify-for-a-world-cup-and-expect-to-get-an-easy-group-you/) [Tim Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-howard/) > [If the manager were to ask me to play in both, I'm sure I would oblige, but we'll see how that works out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-howard/if-the-manager-were-to-ask-me-to-play-in-both-i-m-sure-i-would-oblige/) [Tim Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-howard/) [Explore all 118 Tim Howard quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-howard/) ## More Age quotes > [I need a bath." He chuckled. "You smell of smoke, as do I." The duke turned, leaning heavily on his cane. "Jameson, open the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-hawkins/i-need-a-bath-he-chuckled-you-smell-of-smoke-as-do-i-the-duke-turned/) [Karen Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-hawkins/) > [While we've youth in our hearts, we can never grow old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/while-we-ve-youth-in-our-hearts-we-can-never-grow-old/) [Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-wendell-holmes-jr/) > [It's easier to change a law than an age-old mentality. Deep down, many prejudices, many hostilities, many fears persist. But if we take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dacia-maraini/it-s-easier-to-change-a-law-than-an-age-old-mentality-deep-down-many/) [Dacia Maraini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dacia-maraini/) > [When I first started writing, when I was 15, I would go to work with people and they would tell me my lyrics were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sabrina-claudio/when-i-first-started-writing-when-i-was-15-i-would-go-to-work-with/) [Sabrina Claudio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sabrina-claudio/) > [Real people speak in my books about the main events of the age, such as the war, the Chernobyl disaster, and the downfall of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/svetlana-alexievich/real-people-speak-in-my-books-about-the-main-events-of-the-age-such/) [Svetlana Alexievich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/svetlana-alexievich/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) > [If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/if-there-is-any-period-one-would-desire-to-be-born-in-is-it-not-the/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [By making conscious choices in our behavior and where we focus our attention, we can transform our experience of our body, decrease our biological…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/by-making-conscious-choices-in-our-behavior-and-where-we-focus-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [I am just enjoying the dream of being Milan coach at the age of 40.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gennaro-gattuso/i-am-just-enjoying-the-dream-of-being-milan-coach-at-the-age-of-40/) [Gennaro Gattuso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gennaro-gattuso/) > [Age is an accumulation of life and loss. Adulthood is a series of lines crossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/age-is-an-accumulation-of-life-and-loss-adulthood-is-a-series-of/) [Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/) > [I calculated that if I live up to the age of 80, then I end up using 450 toothbrushes in my life. All that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dia-mirza/i-calculated-that-if-i-live-up-to-the-age-of-80-then-i-end-up-using/) [Dia Mirza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dia-mirza/) > [Why is wisdom so fair? Why is beauty so wise? Because all else is temporary, while beauty and wisdom are the only real and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vera-nazarian/why-is-wisdom-so-fair-why-is-beauty-so-wise-because-all-else-is/) [Vera Nazarian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vera-nazarian/) > [It was only when I went to acting school that I was like, "You are absolutely such a pigheaded freak show that you thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-matthey/it-was-only-when-i-went-to-acting-school-that-i-was-like-you-are/) [Giles Matthey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-matthey/) > [That old man dies prematurely whose memory records no benefits conferred. They only have lived long who have lived virtuously.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-brinsley-sheridan/that-old-man-dies-prematurely-whose-memory-records-no-benefits/) [Richard Brinsley Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-brinsley-sheridan/) > [We have started to make music at age seven. That was a hard work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-kaulitz/we-have-started-to-make-music-at-age-seven-that-was-a-hard-work/) [Bill Kaulitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-kaulitz/) [Browse all 18,948 Age quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/age/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I started playing soccer at age 6 and played both outfield and goalie. Back then, no one wanted to go on goalie - coaches would make deals with me so I'd do it. 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