Grand Personal Narrative

I step up to the penalty kick mark and sense a drip of sweat travel down my face. This is my team's last shot, and if I do not make this we will lose. It is the biggest game of our careers, and somehow the outcome is all resting on me. I sense a pit in my stomach, like I am going to throw up, but I slowly make my way up to the line and take a deep breath in. You can do this. You've been preparing for this your whole life, I tell myself. I swing my leg back and with a force that I didn't know I had in me, I kick the ball. It flies through the air like an arrow being released from a bow, ready to kill. It lands in the upper left corner of the goal as the goalie dives the other way. I stand on the field, surveying everyone cheering, jumping, and

It only took us twenty minutes to be up 2-0 against a team, our main rivals Clements, we had not beaten them for twenty years and who were also former state champions. It was the best feeling ever, seeing the confusion in their faces from being down to us. All the work we had put in that year was finally translated into the field, where it truly matters. Toe to toe with a team they said we had no chance against, I beg to differ. All was going well, until early in the second half they had scored a goal. I could sense the timorous feeling beginning to rise within my teammates, but I never doubted them and knew we still had a

On November 19th, 2016, My family and I were going to Western Michigan University. We were heading off to watch the football and hockey game, my father told me it would take a few hours. Hours went flying by it felt like we were in a race car, we finally arrived hours later. We went straight to the dining area, it smelled like fresh made pasta and many more thrilling smells. As we made our way through the crowd, we found a table to sit at. Afterwards when we found a seat, we went darting off in many directions to look at all the food stations. Few minutes passed by when we all swarm like bees back to the table. We all seated and started eating, we talked about what we got for food.

As I stood on the field, sweat dripping down my face, it all came down to this moment. Going to practice for months, the bruises, the pain, it was all preparing me for this altering moment. I’m a soccer goalie, that in itself is a big responsibility, but tonight my team was counting on me to lead them to victory. We just played a full 90-minute game only to be tied two to two. I stood in between the goal posts, people cheering my name, as a member from the opposing team walked closer. Since we tied we are in a penalty shootout, the outcome of the game is decided on this one kick. See, being a goalie is a big responsibility, but during a shootout, that's when it gets unbearably stressful. The odds are not in a goalie’s favor. There is only an eighteen percent chance that the goalie will stop the penalty kick, but I was beating those odds because I already blocked two out of four shots. I just needed to block one more, one more and we win the gold medal, we win first place. As the player walks closer to me, the cheering of the crowd slowly dissipates. All I hear is my heart pounding out of my chest. It all comes down to this final whistle signaling the kicker to begin. I felt unstoppable, this was my moment to shine, this was when I became the hero for my team. The referee blew

The alarm sounded signaling that it was time to start the game. Each team got their line up and went out on the field. Tweet. The whistle blew and the game started. The game was boring at the beginning. It was not very physical until a player from Pike and I collided going for the ball. We both fell and hit the grass hard. Eventually we both get up and continue to play. I soon started noticing my chest tighten and I began

TWEEEEEET. Boom boom, boom boom. I heard the beating of my heart as I picked myself up from the ground. Trailing 1-0 with just over a minute left to play, the referee had blown the whistle for a penalty kick, and my coach was calling my name to take it. I stepped up to the spot, it was the last play of the game. I stared into the keeper's eyes. Left or right, left or right. He blew the whistle. Strategically placing the ball into the lower right corner, I could smell the celebrations, I could hear the parents and teammates chanting my name, but instead, all my senses were snapped back to reality when the keeper hit the ball out of bounds. That was it, I had the chance to win the championship for my team, and I blew it.

We rushed out onto the field for the last time. The chilly rain was pouring down. The field was soaked. With every step I took there was a sloshing sensation in my cleat. I put my game face on. No ball would get by me. We were going to score. We were going to win. For the next twenty five minutes, I watched a back and forth in the midfield. Several times I stopped the ball and passed it forward to Kaylee, only for the pass to be intercepted before we were able to score. And then, just as the clock was running down to under five minutes left, I stopped a hard pass just outside our circle. I dribbled for several

I took a deep breath, shuffled up to the ball, and swung. Time stopped. It was a powerful kick and thankfully, headed in the right direction. The ball swerved around all of the many players inside of the box. One obstacle, gone. The goalie dove for the ball, hands outstretched, but just barely missed the ball . Another obstacle, gone. Now the ball just had to cross the line, and it did. I scored! A huge weight that had been stopping me from breathing was lifted off my chest. My teammates went crazy, as they rushed towards me to congratulate me. We exchanged hugs and high-fives, adrenaline rushing through us. Now all we had to do was keep Ursula from scoring for another 4

Everything felt slow with just 45 more minutes until the game no one was ready yet. Everyone was moving around, no one could sit still. This was the first time that everyone has been in this kind of position. My coach came in and asked for the captains. Our captain looked around and picked me to go with him. With chills going down my neck I slowing walked out with him. On the field I can see so many lights shining, the ice cold air. Walking to the middle of the field my captain asked me to call the toss. I told him no but he told me he was too nervous to do it. Slowly walking towards the middle of the field we saw the other team’s captains. They were huge way bigger than me. The first strategy of football is to send your biggest guys to scare the other team. Well they did it to perfection to six foot guys that looks

Finally, the game starts and the ball starts moving. I had no idea what I was going to do, when all of a sudden I felt the ball at my feet. I knew this was my only chance because the goal was wide open so I shot with all my might and the crowd

I was ready. This was how we were going to start off the season. Everyone was ready, thinking this was it. We wanted to be the best team on the ice. The coaches came into the room saying, “Let’s go, boys. Let’s start the season off on fire . . . big win today!”

Time to play ball. First faceoff felt like I could see everything and feel it too. I looked at my opponent at the faceoff he was tall and muscular, then I saw his stick and gloves, I examined the gear hoping to maybe find something useful to use against him. We entered our stance, the referee placed the ball between the both of us, he blew the whistle and it sounded like the stadium exploded with sound. A hard step right and flick of my wrist caused the ball to stay neutral. Richland gained the first possession of the game and was able to capitalize with a goal. The next faceoff I was able to tie up the ball and eventually we gained are first possession. We ran 23. Sam Rink was at the top of the box, Parker Lindhorst sent him a dime pass. Sam shot and

The sound of the players was very serious. Everyone talking to each other like we were some wild animals on the filed. The game got really tense as our two forward pass to each other going down to the opposing side. I started sprinting down to help my teammates. One of our forward had the ball and she seen me and pass the ball to me and I grasp the ball heading to the goal while the opposing team were defensing me. As I kicked the ball into the top corner of the net everyone was standing and shouting for joy. They wouldn't never expect that I will ever score on this brilliant team they

I can already see us running and screaming on the field tackling our goalie in our heavy clunky gear. We all are so excited that we won. But wait i say to myself the game's not over get back in it. Now Simi has the ball but were winning by one. Then, I hear it the ref shouts in a loud energetic voice “2 minutes.”

But, while I do my five hours of school I started feeling tingling and nervous for the game that was about to happen later that night. After school is finished I listen to music to get ready for the big game, I lay on my bed looking up at my ceiling thinking about how good of a season I had and how it would suck if it just ended on a loss. Five o’clock p.m. hits and I get in the car to go to the rink, I’m always the first person at the rink for my team. I get in the locker room and sit down by the bench closet to the door, so I’m the first one out onto the ice, and just wait for my teammates to start showing up. Six O’clock rolls around nobody is there yet, I feel like traffic is bad and go outside and do warmups, thinking that they will be here soon to join me in warmups. Then, I finish the warmups and go back into the locker room and see everyone having a good time laughing and drinking beer. I know it is fun to do that, but before the most important game of our career and to not care, is not cool. So I sit in the corner and listen to my music making sure that I focus on me and nobody else, then I look at the clock and see 6:30 and I start booking it in getting dressed, since it takes twenty minutes to put everything on. I finish with five minutes to spare and go outside the locker room and throw a tennis ball against the wall, since I do that before every game. Lastly I grab my equipment and head out onto the ice with my team following me in the