My Best Friend

The sun glared down on our bruised, tired, and dirty bodies as we hung our heads in defeat. Dropping to the losers bracket on our first of three days of the State Softball Tournament meant we could not lose again or we would go home and I would never play with this team again. Attitudes and hope started to fade as Coach read us our new schedule. We would have to play eight games in a row without losing once in order to make it to the championship. Everyone started to say goodbye and thank you to one of our coaches and a teammate that would not be there the next day. Halfheartedly they included a doubtful “see you on Sunday”.

“You’re gonna run until I puke”! Said coach as me and the rest of the team stood in front of him.We were in trouble for leaving the locker room a mess after practice one day after coach said not to.

While other students were out celebrating the first week of summer, the New Albany Girls Lacrosse team was practicing for one of the biggest moments in their lives. They were preparing to compete in the Division II Lacrosse State Championship Game on June 1st. The team had one week to ensure they knew their plays, calls and were general ready for one of the toughest games of the year. Among this team there were twenty-five girls, and within this group of girls there were only two goalies. These two goalies, Kathleen Schell and Grace Anthony, had to hold the team together. Kathleen was talking to Grace before the end of practice and told her “I am really nervous, because I don’t know who coach is going to throw out there first. Also, what if

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

“Heyboer, you’re at first. Head on out there.” As my coach said that, my nerves started rushing up my back. I was at Bicentennial park with my dad and my softball team for our last softball game of the summer. I was so nervous. Tension grew and my heart was about to burst out of my chest.

“As the QB how do you feel know that Kyle the game before state tore his ACL.”

As the game started, I immediately knew that this game was going to be close. I was subbed in, handing off the dirty, yellow scrimmage jersey. Our opponents were good, but we were better. I stood there, wind blowing around the little hairs that wouldn't make it into my ponytail, ready for my opponent. I knew I had one job, to defend my goal. I located the girl who would later change the game for me. She was slightly taller than me. She had dark brown hair and bushy

It was time to go out to our exchange zones and set up our marks. My team said their last good lucks to each other and we departed to our zones. I could smell the fresh air and see the red track. As all the participants and I walked around the track, my stomach quickly refilled with butterflies. Finally, we had reached the third exchange zone where I set up my marks in lane eight. Then I did a few practice take offs and pretend handoffs. I looked over behind me to see a familiar face, Coach

My apprehension only seemed to grow as the time dragged on. Suddenly, I heard our school name. Adrenaline rushed through me as we ran out onto the mats with gaudy smiles on out faces. The music thundered behind us as we jumped, stunted, and danced. It felt like it was over in a heartbeat. The experience as a whole left me utterly exhausted; so much in fact that when it came time for awards, I was quite frankly too worn out to care. We had done our best and there was nothing we could do to alter our fate at that point. Still, I couldn't help but attempt to play back our performance in my head. "We were nowhere near as natural or well put together as the other teams." I muttered. As it turned out, I was correct. We placed last in our

Some of us were finding bugs in the towels and also seeing mold in the air conditioning units. As the parents were demanding that the staff of the hotel would clean up the rooms the team sat in the lobby while Coach Gaines talked to us about the semifinal game we would play the next day. TEAM 1 was going to be a hard team to beat but every team member knew exactly what we needed to do to get that win to make it to the state final game. Coach Gaines, standing in the almost empty hotel, told us the game plan while her voice carried down the halls making it almost scary. She explained to the team, “to win games you have to work as team and hold each other up. Not one single person can carry this team”. After the meeting in the lobby we were all sent back to the rooms where half of the team sat up half the night worrying about how the game was going to go the next day or just about what bugs might be under the mattresses. I was awake half the night thinking of what might happen in the game. Will I strike out every time at bat? Will I make a ton of errors? Soon enough I wake up the obnoxious banging at the door and scream blaring down the hallways that it was game

My first practice was horrendous, my entire body was sore and I was light-headed, but I did not give up there. After the first week of practice, the coach had a list of who was going to be on A team or B team, coach Safarik started going through the list. I was really nervous, I was sweating, my right foot was shaking, and my whole upper body was paralyzed. Then it happened, I heard my name called out, “Oscar Juan, A team”, coach Safarik shouted. I was happy as could be, but I could not show my emotions just yet.

We were supposed to be playing football for the entire time. Of course, I was excited. The season hadn’t started yet and I was itching to get on the field. The teachers decided to make it a boys vs. girls match. Now, most people would just think that this was just some normal day at gym, but it very much wasn’t. You see, a certain person was in that same class. His name was Calum Thomas Hood, also known as the best male footballer at Norwest. Everyone knew that this match was anything but ordinary.

It was Friday morning. The varsity girls basketball team had their very first home game tonight at 7:00. Allie, the freshman point guard on the team was especially nervous for this game because she would be playing with all older people in front of a big crowd of a lot of people she knew. Her shaky hands were clammy the whole day and she couldn’t think straight. Her teachers and classmates could tell something was wrong so they told her that her game that night would be fine and she would do great.

The memory still plays so clearly in my mind. I was at soccer practice and the results were to be posted on Durant High School's website between 3:20 and 4:00 pm. Oh how I had longed and fretfully awaited for these results; and finally, the time had come. I had glanced at the clock a couple minutes earlier, I recall reading “3:22 p.m.” I shouted to my friend, “Jenny, have the results come in yet?” “Not yet!” Jenny bellowed back. One sprint later I hear Jenny calling my name: “You made it Jade! You made it!” I had made the Varsity Cheerleading squad for the upcoming 2016-2017 season.

“Why wasn’t my midfielders getting to the ball?” I thought to myself frustratedly. I had scored at least one time every game, for my indoor club team, but the last game I couldn’t. For years I played forward or right wing. We needed help back on defense, so my coach asked me to go back to left back. I don’t play defense much, because it wasn’t my strength. As we were playing, the ball was kicked to center field, and no one on my team or the other team was getting the ball. I thought to myself, “even back on defense, I could still try to score or pass the ball.” As I ran up to the ball to strike it in the goal, a girl on the other team was racing me to the ball. I turned my whole leg so that the side of my foot would