#ThingsTimHowardCouldSave Includes At-Risk Teens' Lives

#ThingsTimHowardCouldSave Includes At-Risk Teens' Lives

Tim Howard became a household name on Tuesday when he made World Cup history, but we’ve long been cheering for this U.S. goalkeeper.

Though the U.S. lost 2-1 to Belgium on Tuesday, Howard emerged as a winner after making 16 saves, the most on record in a World Cup match. His stellar performance inspired some serious fanfare, including the meme #ThingsTimHowardCouldSave, which trended worldwide on Wednesday.

Perhaps suggesting that Howard could’ve saved the Titanic from sinking or Janet Jackson from her notorious "nip slip" is going a bit far, but it’s safe to say that the heralded soccer player is saving plenty of at-risk youths’ lives.

Howard is heavily involved with Natural High, a nonprofit that inspires young people to say "no" to drugs and alcohol, and to pursue their passions so they don’t have to chase an "artificial high."

The goalkeeper recently partook in an advocacy video for the organization in which he shared how he vowed to stay away from drug abuse from an early age.

Howard said he discovered soccer when he was 6, but truly committed to playing competitively when he was 13 or 14. It was at that same time that he saw many of his peers start to experiment with drugs and "other shady stuff."

It was something he resolved to abstain from doing so that he could achieve his goals. He hopes to motivate other teens to do the same.

"What gets me that adrenalin going is competition -- competition to be the best individually and win as a team," Howard said. "That’s what gives me my high. I know that if I can work really hard and refine some things in my game, I can shoot to try to be the best."

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Tim Howard's World Cup

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