Personal Narrative: A Hockey Game

I felt my heart racing as I imagined making the top team in the club. I knew right then and there that I was going to try out for the team as soon as I discussed it with my parents. After my parents’ approval, I went to the first tryout with high expectations and aspirations. The tryout was going well at first; my skill was evident on the ice. I was making quick passes and skating hard. I will never forget the fateful pass that happened next. I remember the play in slow motion. I passed the puck through the center ice, a precarious move, but it was intercepted by the opposing team and as a result they scored a swift goal. Groans from the other players could be heard and my heart sank. That pass would determine my fate. After the tryout, I undressed slowly replaying the pass repeatedly in my head. Coach Ruben walked out of his office with the list of players who made the team in his hand. As he posted the list on the bulletin board, all the eager players ran over, examining the list of names. I stared at at the list for what seemed like an eternity searching for my name, but it was not there. I stifled my disappointment and followed my parents out to the car. To my ten year old self, my dreams were crushed and I assumed my hockey career was over before it even

My heart was pounding like an elephant walking as I waited in line, although I wasn’t even really that nervous. In my head I knew it was going to be hard to make the team as a 6th grader I think that’s why I didn't get myself all worked up about it and nervous because there was a 50% chance of me making the team. In my head, I said to myself that I would love to make the team.

It was my sophomore year, and the day had come to find out who made the varsity lacrosse team. We piled into the locker room to discover rows of brand new helmets. The list of the varsity players was written on the whiteboard. The team was excited, the locker room buzzing with noise. My heart dropped as I realized that my name wasn’t written there. My friends were admiring their new helmets and I had to hold back tears and disappointment. I know now that I still had to be developed at the junior varsity level, but it wasn’t easy to understand back then. At practice that day, I played out of pure spite, every move filled with rage. You aren’t good enough, I thought. I left practice that day without saying goodbye to my friends.

In the words of Ralph Strangis, (Former Play-by-Play commentator for the Dallas Stars) “Every season, for every team the goal is to be better. To take what has already been laid in place and to build around that foundation and to take the next step however you define it. Longterm success never comes quickly and the road to get there is uneven and unpredictable“

The boys walk onto the field like a group of soldiers. The dark rubbery turf causes the Irondale Boys lacrosse team to stand out in their satin maroon and gold jerseys. Nothing could break their concentration. Their brows furrowed with anticipation for what awaits them. Within minutes the boys will be battling the other team to take home the bragging rights that go with winning. Although lacrosse does not rank highly in popularity, it is one of the greatest sports. The lacrosse boys confirmed that watching the game does not compare to the thrill of actually partaking in a game. Lacrosse is one of the more underrated sports, but it should not be.

I do not get surprised easily, but when I scored my first lacrosse goal, I was pretty shocked. I have considered myself as a decent lacrosse player; however, I did not score a single goal in my first season. Similar to my first season, my second season started out with me struggling get open and score goals. Fortunately, as the season progressed, I started to learn how to get open and get pass my defender. All of this came to fruition when I scored my first goal. It was the first quarter and our opponent had just turned the ball over. Our team was able to clear the ball past the midfield line, so I dropped into my designated position around ten feet away from the goal. Strikingly, the midfielder with the ball saw me open and passed it to me.

It was a dark thursday night in April. The sky was clear enough to see the moon shining brightly along with many small circular diamonds. I’m in a dark blue Avalanche, being driven to a baseball diamond. I play for the MIlwaukee Brewers on a little league level. It’s my last game of the season, and I can’t wait for the umpire to say the words “Play Ball” (which states that the game has begun).

My first Opening season game was two years ago at the Blues Hockey stadium in ST. Louis Mo. It was a cold day, The sun was barely shining and I had just got to ST. Louis driving thru the city making our way to the hockey rink. The traffic was horrible and not safe there was tons of people walking on the streets trying to get to that game. When we finally got there we pulled into the parking garage and got out the car after we did that we put on our jerseys and went to the side of the garage and watched tons of people rolling in and not to mention the band that was there. After the band was done we went inside and found our seats when we got there we had an unlimited buffet of food to eat, I had chicken tenders, hot chocolate, soda, and hot

I woke up and took one bite out of my pop tart but that one bite was all I could eat. My legs were shaking, and my heart was pounding. My dad told me, “It is a true honor to even make it this far so go out there and have some fun.” Once I heard this statement, I knew I was ready to go. I arrived at school and boarded the bus. The car ride was an hour and fifteen minutes of hearing the squeaking of the wheel on the bus. My teammates were getting their heads ready for the big game.

As a member of the lacrosse team, I often hear our coach utter many words about the class of the team. At the start of the season, I disregarded these words as drivel, and continued to act the same way. I had always seen myself as a man with class, and would not have given much thought to any wrongdoings I may have had, and played them off. I have since realized that the way in which you act, holds more prevalence on the way you are portrayed as a person, and impacts the way you will get through life.

It all started at 2, when my father bought me skates, and made a skating rink in my backyard. Then, I got into the sport, which at 6, I was nationally known, and people were lining up for autographs at 10, had interviews for magazines at 15, 17 he was in the WHA, then the NHL the year later. It was fast, how I moved through my life, but I couldn’t think of a life different life like it.

It was cloudy in the late morning, which meant even the weather didn’t look promising, Even more optimistically looking it seemed like the clouds were about to rupture into trillions of droplets each one a part of me about to shatter from humiliation. And obviously rain and humidity were the best conditions for field hockey. The building looked more downcast than I’d ever seen it, and when my dad parked the car it became more evident that this was not going to go as faultlessly as I hoped it would.

A very important moment in my life was when I won my very first state championship for hockey. My team and i were headed to Dallas, Texas for a tournament in the 2007-08 season. We were quite nervous for this trip because it was an invitation only tournament. We arrived in Dallas around 9 pm so we had to get a good nights sleep right away in order to be prepared for our game the following day. Although waking up in the morning is hard now; waking up early then was a hoot. We loved it for some reason. When we got to the game, we did the usual warmup: streching with the team, taping our sticks, and getting ourselves pumped up and ready to go for the game. We went out there and won leaving our best effort on the ice.

Coming from all different directions, some shots going faster than others, some harder shots than others. The only thing that can stop it is to focus and make sure you are in front of it. The puck is dropped and overtime is on its way. It's 3 on 3 hockey, the defensemen get the forwards and the forwards get the defensemen. It's a tie game, one goal will decide the winner. “Boom boom, boom boom”, my heart is on its edge pumping blood way too fast. Sweat dripping down my face, legs are shaking, the sounds of the players skates ripping through the ice, all of theses distractions are coming from different ways. But that doesn't bother me because I know that I have one goal, keep the puck away from the net. I am not alone though. My friends, the

Friday night rolled around, it was the game we had all been working so hard for. Knowing we were seniors, we knew it would be the end of the journey.