Personal Narrative: My Waukesha Hockey Team

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

We got changed in the locker room, listening to music that would get our adrenaline pumping. The game started with a tip-off with us getting the ball and scoring on the first play, but so did the other team. The game was very close. We would score, they would score. No one ever got ahead by more than four points. At the end of the second quarter with ten seconds left, it was their ball and we were down by two. They did a nice play and a girl got a wide open three pointer. Then the buzzer went off and we all looked at our fuming coach and knew what was about to come at half time. You know that scene in the movie, “42” about Jackie Robinson, where the other teams coach is yelling at him saying rude things? And then there’s the heartbreakingly beautiful scene where Jackie goes into the dugout and breaks his bat and screams and cries. That’s what our halftime was like. The coach yelling and us wanting to scream and cry, but still we had determination to win this game. We came back out ready to play and immediately tied it back it up. The game kept going back and forth, until the fourth quarter with a minute left and us up by four. The other teams coach called a timeout and our coach gave us a speech about if we wanted to win, we needed teamwork. Teamwork just like Jackie Robinson and the Brooklyn Dodgers. We came back out and held the game at four points until the buzzer went

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

It had been a long season, many losses, but many learning moments, we were second to last in the league and only had about ten wins. The only thing we had going for us, the playoffs. We had tied the West Kent Hawks and beat two other teams 7-1 and 10-2 to make it here, and there I was. Sitting in the locker room with a blank stare and hands hanging from my chest guard, this is usually what happens before games. I was anxious to get on the ice, but neverous too, because this is how the little caesars playoffs work.

My freshman year we entered playoffs with a hopeful optimism that in our first year in 3A, the largest division, we could make a statement that we were here to stay. In the end, the game didn’t go our way. There were some questionable calls made but in the end, it is what it is: we weren’t good enough to win. A tough reality but often times you learn more from a loss than from a win. Sophomore

The day the team got together and fought threw a tough battle facing pinnacle high school. It was our second home game and our record was 1-2. After all of the hard work we had put in over summer, we realized we could not lose, especially in front of our home crowd. At the beginning of the game we did our usual warm-ups, I have never felt so much adrenaline pushing threw my veins in my life. After the warm-ups the whole team got in a big huddle, we chanted a chant that will never be forgotten and one day make history for the pride. After the chant we got ready for kick-off, lined up and ready to go. The crowd started cheering at the first 2 seconds of the game “go pride go, go pride go”. This made the whole team nervous, not just because there was so many

Our team practice everyday for 2 hours and our record was 23-1. We were the first team ever to win in our age division to ever win for St.Mary’s. We had a hard time in the beginning of the season. One of our best players injured her knee. She was running towards the loose ball and her knee twisted. She was out for the rest of the season. Looking back on it made me better because I learned how hard you to to practice or try to achieve your goal.

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.

The third game, that was previously postponed, was a tie at 8-8 with a team from Bucks County. Then it was a waiting game to see who and when we would play. We ended up playing a team called Big Sky and won that game. Then right after that we played York A team for the gold medal; which no keystone west team had ever won. The game was a long one if you were playing even though the game was only 40 minutes it felt like 2 hours. The game was 6-2 at the half and the keystone West team were winning. With under 1 minute left in the game the score was West 12 a York A had 8. York ran the ball down the field and then throw it out of bounds with under 30 seconds. West got the send it call and that is what they did and ended that throw with a goal. That ended the game and all but one of the West team ran to their goalie but I did not. I was in so much shock from how I went from one position to another in under a year and was one of the best in Western PA and how much we practice we had to let this moment happen. I am now and was and will always be proud of what happened with this

Being girls of the ages fourteen to eighteen we did not know how to react. We have never in our life went to school and heard all these headlines about how the program we worked so hard to build is not going to make it in our county. Knowing we had no support from anyone besides our coaches and families led us to constantly being down. We were continuously mocked of from higher ranked teams, even if we won a game. All that proceeded in our heads were that how can people think so small of a group of teenage girls. No one wanted to be last in our division anymore, but we didn't have faith in ourselves as a result of no one having confidence in us.

A memory that is etched into my brain is when I was asked to come back and be on a national lacrosse team. This summer I went to try out for a national lacrosse team down in Ocean City. The team’s was named, “ Diamond National” and they were a pretty good national team. This is the first time I tried out for a national team and I thought I didn’t do my best at the tryouts. Even though I didn’t do my best I was still asked to come back.

“Man I’m nervous,’’I said to no one in particular inside the brand new, white Toyota 4Runner.

I have never met a group of guys like my teammates. They are goofy, they know the hockey talk, they basically are closer to you than you can imagine. That group of guys have shaped my identity in a good way. They pushed me out of a comfort zone to the point I can go up and talk to anyone anywhere. For instance, it was much easier to talk to random girls we meet when we go out.

The crowd went absolutely wild, and everyone was hugging (compound). My team and I were in a group hug in the middle of the court with our coach. When we turned to the crowd, it erupted with applause (complex). I went over and hugged my best friend, Delaney, and we told each other that we each did outstanding. We then were presented with medals and the State Championship trophy. We all stood huddled on the floor, holding the trophy high above our heads. After that, all the fans and parents came onto the floor. I could tell that my parents were ready to embrace me.

The team was ready, we had been working extremely hard for the past seven months for this. We were all in great shape and very rested. A few of the returning players were meeting me at my house to carpool to the final game of the state championship tournament. Everyone knew that the hard work had paid off when we won the semi-final game the preceding day.