Essay on Personal Narrative- Soccer State Championship

Going into that game we had convinced ourselves that we had already lost before it even started. We were about as flat as a tabletop. While warming up we were pretty much just waiting for the game to end, so that we could just leave and just call it a year!” Once the game actually started something just clicked. We

“It was really exciting,” said Patterson of winning the National Championship. “I was nervous because I had never been put in a situation like that before, but it was super fun. It still doesn’t feel real to me.”

On that first Saturday in June 2012, my teammates and I fulfilled our life-long goals of winning a state championship together and proving to the people that did not believe in us that we could do it. On that day, those fifteen guys I had grown up through grade school with were no longer just teammates and friends, they became brothers to me. Another reason Huntington Park is so special to me is because I was the final pitcher in both championships, meaning I had the ball in my hand when the game was on the line. Standing on the mound in front of ten thousand people with all eyes looking at you is a nerve racking feeling but there was no better feeling then being the guy that our coach trusted to bring home the trophy for our team. Lastly, this baseball stadium known as Huntington Park is so special to me because after receiving that trophy and medal for winning the championship I also received my high school diploma at home plate because our team missed the graduation ceremony. There are not many people in the world that can say they received their high school diploma on the same field they won a state championship. Huntington Park may not be a special place for anyone else but it will always be a special place for my teammates and myself. Those two days our dreams became realities and that is something we will all look back and cherish forever. Whether it’s passing by the stadium in my car or attending a Columbus Clippers game during the summer time, any time I find myself back at Huntington Park I still get the chills from knowing I played on that

Our team went undefeated for our first 16 games, and then our 17th game we had our first tie. We were used to killed the team we tied to, but that proves if you don’t come ready not everything is going to go your way. Some of the kids kind of took it the wrong way. We won 14 more games after that and kept playing strong. Then we had our final playoff game to see who was going to state or not.

One thing this year’s wrestling team kept on making. The regular season was not what this team would be remembered for, but rather be remembered by the success they held in the postseason events. With the team winning the Northern Central Connecti- cut Conference Tournament for the first time in school history, the moment was surreal. Four wrestlers took home first place, Jeff Suschana in the 132 lbs weight class, Jacob Berry-Parker in the 160 lbs weight class, Frankie Rinaldi in the 170 lbs weight class and Jackson Rheault in the 195 lbs weight class. Frankie Rinaldi shares the team’s mental state of mind entering the NCCC tournament saying, “The team worked hard. I wanted to win, We all wanted to win.” With their heads above the clouds already,

“We prepared very well,” said senior Amira Alexander. “We have the team motto, “finish strong”, so we did that with everything we did. So that was a big factor in us finishing the fall very well.”

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

Each member on the team shared the same values, emotions, and knowledge of that particular sport. As a freshman and sophomore in high school, I knew that I needed to be on the same level as my other teammates. For me to be accepted in this community, I had to show them my ethos appeals to let them know that I was just like them. Sportsmanship, diligence and perseverance, were the skills needed to show the upperclassmen and my coach that I was serious and that I was ready to be part of the team. The upperclassmen knew that I had it in me; all I had to do was prove that I could do it. Proving to older long time members of the team is not the easiest thing to do. They are cynical about every action you do. In order for me to prove my worth, I had to show an emotional appeal toward the “veterans of the team” which were similar to that of the

The Delaware State University staff announced the beginning of the award ceremony. The room fell silent as they unveiled the trophies, our entire team hoped for the best. Mouths were gaped wide open at the sight of them. Everyone in the room could feel the tension rising. Name after name, trophy after trophy was handed out to the awarded teams and after each one, our hope diminished, slowly, agonizingly, like something we thought was so close yet every moment that passed it felt farther and farther away. The number of trophies were slimming as we got closer and closer to the end we were grabbing at whatever hope we could.

We were determined to be winners no matter what it took; everyone on the team had only one goal. After a summer of the hardest work any of us had ever done we knew we would be ready. It was good that we were because before we knew it, it was time for the first game of the new season. Our opponent had been in the top of the standings the previous year, so we knew the challenge we had before us.

Something about being on the field changed something inside of us because, even the most soft spoken kids off of the field expressed their frustration openly. I continued to be no different. What the team and I failed to realize was that the worse we acted, the worse the reffing would get. That attitude would not allow us to get anywhere, and we didn’t. We did not win a single game despite our coaches best efforts to control us. The refs knew several of our players by name, and always listened a little closer when we talked, and the calls always came against us. Our coach had a talk with us about the respect, and I shrugged it off again because it was not about me.

A new coach had been hired, the school was getting a new practice facility for all sports, and things seemed to be going in the right direction. The seniors called a player meeting to identify problems within the program, to set goals for the upcoming season, and to formulate a plan to reach those goals. We learned from the previous years that poor workout attendance, failure to hold others accountable, and animosity between players were the main causes of failure. Consequently, we began to encourage all players to show up to practice and make sure their teammates were there, too. Furthermore, seniors made sure the locker room was a friendly environment that everyone could feel safe in.

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.

It was a cold, rainy Saturday. I woke up, nervous as could be, slipped on my sandals, and headed to team breakfast. We all needed to be energized and for the big game that afternoon. Everyone chatted quietly as we devoured our hearty breakfast of eggs and pancakes. Though we were all hopeful and wanted more than anything to be victorious.. It always came back to Monadnock. Year after year, it seemed as though Monadnock would be the team to wreck our season. But if there was any day for us to beat Monadnock, today would be the day. We always played stronger in the rain, and if we lost, the seniors would be done with high school field hockey. We were more hungry than ever for this win.

Our success had been given to us without much work. Our team was at least twice the size of all the other teams and we earned points left and right. It was never a concern of whether we would be standing on the top of the podium at the end of the meet - we knew that we would be there. Getting in the blocks before the gun went off was one of the most nerve wracking experiences. Everything goes quiet and you can hear the conversations among the people lining the fence, but somewhere below the nerves building in your stomach, there was always the knowledge that it was just a race. Myself and many others began to expect the victories and the thought of us not winning became comical. As year eight and nine rolled around, the competition became tough but we continued to hold the trophy at the end of the meet. If we had managed to persevere and come out on top for the last nine years, surely ten wouldn’t be any different, or so we thought. I spent my entire free time crunching the numbers, and in worst case scenario, we were still predicted to be standing on top of the podium with the trophy. But drive and determination cannot be calculated. We were no longer conference champions, we were no longer looking to extend our streak, and we were no longer looked at as the unbeatable team. Ten was a feat we could not