My Rugby Team-Personal Narrative

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

A year later, I was accepted into varsity. At first, it was nerve-wracking because I didn’t know anyone. I started to work hard every single day because I knew that I had to practice harder than most people. If I don't, the team would be curious on why I was even accepted. On the first week of practice, it was called hell week. At first, I didn't think that it would be anything hard. On the first day of practice, we had to get to the gym at 5 AM until 8 AM and 13 out of 18 people went. We were conditioning the

With my eyes glued to the ball. Just waiting for the center to snap it to the quarterback I made sure my cleats were dug in and ready to go. As the center moved the ball I charged forward shoving the center out of the way and slamming my shoulder into the quarterback and taking him down before he had a chance to blink. After the play, there was time to think to myself about the past week, the events that had transpired, the important decision I had made, and about that one sunny day at practice.

It was a brisk fall evening, and my seventh grade youth football team and I had traveled to Aberdeen to play the undefeated Chiefs. We had worked harder and longer than we ever had that week to show that we were a threat in the league and ascend from our third place ranking. We knew it was not going to be easy; the Chiefs’ team had the fastest running back in our division, and they had scored more total points per game than any other team in the Southeast Idaho Youth Football League. The field was neater and greener than we had expected in this town. It was a great day for football, and I was with all of my best friends. I knew going in that it was going to be a learning experience whether we won or lost that night because the Chiefs were

There were two minutes remaining on the clock. My opponent moved to make a shot. The only problem was, I was blocking her path. She took swift steps, aimed, and kicked the ball towards the goal with all her might. Unfortunately, she never made the goal. Instead, the ball whacked the side of my head, hard, leaving me with an experience that would greatly impact my junior year.

Joining a new club soccer team coupled with almost daily workouts allowed me to improve my skills in the offseason. The feeling of going into tryouts being so prepared allowed a new level of confidence to emerge in myself. With only two starting spots open, working hard from the very start was necessary in order for me to prove myself to coach. After making the team again, I knew giving my best effort couldn’t end here. I showed up to practices with a positive attitude, always ready to work hard. When the preseason scrimmages, long practices, and exhausting fitness checks were over, the feeling of having earned a starting spot was incredibly satisfying. Now, not only am I working hard to keep up my starting spot, but I am hoping my attitude will rub off on everyone and make the team stronger. Afterall, soccer is a team sport; and the possibility of winning a state title in the near future adds to my ambition to perform well for my teammates every time I step on the field.

It all started on a Saturday Morning, It was one of the biggest rugby games of the season, Saint Albans College VS Saint Jones College. The game started, I wasn’t really the best player in the under 14B team and I wasn’t really the worst player, if you didn’t know all saint schools bought players .There was only one player I was scared of on the rugby field his name was Munashe . This player was over 2 meters tall and was twice my size. The score was 25-10 to Saint Albans College, There was 4 minutes left of the game Saint Jones just needed a try and a kick to win the game. Saint Jones had a scrum

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.

I arrived at practice with my shoes laced, hair pulled back, and the mindset that I was unstoppable. I could play against every member of my team and come out the victor on any given day. It was the first day of practice that week, and challenge matches were scheduled to begin. The team went through our daily shuffle of drills, conditioning, and running to prepare for what was lying ahead. While warming up with my friends, I felt great, talking about homecoming, boys, and a variety of irrelevant events. I felt ready. The odds were in my favor and nobody could stop me.

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

We were all obviously tired, yet still willing to hang on for victory. The team of Jessie’s had received a total of seven compared to our six during our get together. Matt whispered the next plan into the ears of other players which soon reached mine. These words were “ Tell James I need him to go along to the right as I pretend to pass it to Johnny, and once they fall for the fake I’ll pass it on to him.” . I had the best of chance to get it through Jessie considering I was titled fastest male student of grade on track. Swiping the perspiration from my forehead I prepared myself for the worst. I knew I could possibly side-step pass Jessie and the rest would be smooth sailing. The other ending would leave me with a hard tackle from behind making me one of his many victims. His team mates weren’t as athletic as our group of companions but he was the one demon I had to push through to even out our scores.I got into my running position and braced myself for any possible outcome.The words were said, and my feet practically levitated off the ground, and in that moment I felt like a stalwart being which my team could always depend on. That was till I felt the tackle that I could of sworn was that of a boiling hot rocket. My face fastly came down to the ground for an earthy kiss I would never

I was an incoming freshman, two weeks prior to my first day of high school, and I was terrified. I knew that I loved the sport of football, however I had heard stories from my brother about how tough Stepinac’s freshman football coach was. Everything that I was told was true. One of the coaches great lessons that he taught me was that a hardworking disciplined team is typically more successful than a team that has all of the talent in the world, but is not disciplined and does not work hard. That summer was the hardest that I had ever worked up to that point to start in a football game. The hard work never paid off, and I left at the end of that season defeated. I wasn’t good enough, I wasn’t fast enough, and I wasn’t strong enough. I had only played in two of the games, one, for a snap when

The practice was Monday - Friday from 6 - 8 o’clock. Every day at practice I would do the warm-ups and stretches with my team, after that I went with one of my coaches on the side to start losing my weight. The coach had me doing different exercises like running laps, burpees, and sit-ups. Also, outside of practice, my parents had me on a diet. My caloric intake was cut in half and I only drank water. My first attempt to meet the weight

All the while, I went to practice and everyday, I went home physically and mentally exhausted.

We were all set up on the field ready for the game, I remember closing my eyes forabout a minute before the game started, that minute felt like 10 years, I froze and thought aboutmyself when I was 3 years old and how I first fell in love with the game and how my ultimatedream was to become pro, I remember the hours of pain and suffering I put myself through tobecome the player I was today, I remembered waking up at 4 a.m. on school mornings to go forruns so that I could run longer in games,I remember skipping parties and hanging with friendsso that I could train, I remembered everything, but one thing truly hit me was how much soccerwas there for me growing up my parents argued a lot and when I was feeling sad and lonely Iwould go train at the fields and it would hell my sorrow. Growing up in a household when yourparents are constantly fighting is difficult, but soccer was my out lit it was my therapist. Duringthe time of their divorce I felt like I had no one but soccer so I decided I need to give back to thegame. Soccer did so much for me, so I wanted to prove to it that it wasn't a waste of time andthat I would make something out of the game. I opened my eyes and didn't feel human anymore Ididn't feel in control of my own body the sport had taken over me for the better. I remembermoments when I was running and it didn't even feel like my feet were touching the floor